Silver Lining
by Kitzsune
Summary: After a natural disaster strikes Ponyville, a stronger relationship begins to blossom between Twilight Sparkle and Rarity.
1. Chapter 1

**Silver Lining**

**By Kitsune**

**Chapter One**

Twilight woke up to absolute silence. She expected it to be quiet, but not _this_ quiet. Spike had gone back to Canterlot to assist Princess Celestia with a class she was teaching about dragons and would be gone for the next two weeks. Owlicious had made a friend and had gone to meet her family, but it was a few days flight, so he would not be back for a while. While Twilight was happy to have some peace and quiet and be able to study with fewer interruptions, she had to admit that she was beginning to feel a little lonely in the library by herself.

However, as she slowly woke up and dragged herself out of bed, she realized that it wasn't just the library that had become so quiet. It was quiet outside as well. She took a look at the clock and saw that it was well into the morning. There should be some noise coming from outside by now. She poked her head out the front door.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing was going on. Nopony was around as far as she could see.

"What is going on?" Twilight thought to herself out loud.

She took a few moments to straighten out her mane and tail, brush her teeth, and grabbed an apple from the kitchen. She then went outside to try to figure out where everypony was… but where to start!

"The market! Of course! There should be somepony there by now!" she thought to herself.

When she reached the market however, nopony was their either. It was then that she heard a shout from way above her head.

"_Twilight, what are you doing_? _Run_!"

Looking up, she saw Rainbow Dash yelling at her. "_Why_?" she yelled back.

She didn't hear or see any danger around her, but she was starting to worry that maybe she did have a reason to be running.

She then saw Fluttershy, flying faster than she had ever seen her fly before, coming from Everfree Forest. Fluttershy stopped next to Rainbow Dash and said something to her that Twilight couldn't hear from that distance. Rainbow Dash pointed down at her and Fluttershy quickly put a hoof to her mouth. Both of them yelled. Well, Rainbow Dash yelled, Fluttershy more or less squeaked.

"_Twilight_! _Run! Now_!" and they pointed south. It was then that Twilight heard a low rumble and started to feel the ground shake. She started running in the direction her friends pointed out as fast as she could. She looked up and saw them flying in the same direction. Rainbow Dash came down and flew next to Twilight so she could explain what was going on.

"Why were you still in the town Twilight? We sent word hours ago to evacuate!" said Dash.

"I never got the message! Twilight shouted back. "I just woke up a few minutes ago. What is going on?"

"You know how it's been raining non stop for the past four days over the Everfree Forest? Well, the forest floor started flooding yesterday. Fluttershy went to go check on Zecora to see if she needed any help, and spotted several hydras slowly heading for her house! She got Zecora out just in time, but the hydras started moving this way this morning and now they are at the edge of Ponyville. Fluttershy has been monitoring their movements since last night and was relaying that information to me so I could better inform the Mayor as to a safe evacuation plan. How did you not notice any of that?" asked Dash loudly.

"Well, I spent most of yesterday studying. I heard the noise level pick up a little in the afternoon, but I didn't think anything of it. I wonder why nopony came by the library to tell me." Twilight yelled back.

"Oh, well, nopony thought you weren't home. We thought you went to Canterlot with Spike since we haven't seen you for the past few days." replied Dash.

"Oh. I guess I haven't left the library, have I?" Twilight half said to herself, thinking back. After Spike left, she started studying again, and would only stop to eat or use the restroom. "I really should get out more, huh?"

"I think that would be a good idea Twilight, but we have bigger things to worry about at the moment." Dash pointed out. "We're headed for Sweet Apple Acres. All the ponies have gone there until we can either find a safer place or can return home."

Rainbow Dash headed back up to Fluttershy and both of them stayed directly over Twilight to make sure that she would make it there safely. Sweet Apple Acres was coming up quickly and she saw a hastily erected barricade crossing the path. Applejack and Rarity were standing behind it, waving to her.

"_Quickly dear, quickly_!" shouted Rarity!

"_Move it Twilight_! _Yer almost there_!" yelled Applejack.

Twilight ran around the barricade and stopped next to her friends. She looked up and yelled. "Any sign of them coming this way?"

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looped around to face back towards the town.

"I can see a few hydra heads, looks like they are near the center of town." said Rainbow Dash. "Oh, wait, is that… _oh no_! _Rarity, your shop_! _It's destroying your shop_!"

'_What_!" cried Rarity, before raising a hoof to her forehead and fainting. Twilight caught her with her magic just before she hit the ground and brought her to rest on a nearby hay bale.

"All th' work she's put into that shop. Poor Rarity. It'll take her..." said Applejack, before being cut off out of nowhere.

"_Forever_!" shouted Pinkie Pie, popping out of the hay bale that Rarity was now lying on. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she still had a huge smile on her face. "I'm sure we can help her to rebuild it though, so I don't think it will really take forever."

"When? How did? Nevermind." said Applejack, shaking her head. "Pinkie Pie, you're just _so_ random. I thought you were back at da barn with th' other ponies."

"I was, but no one was interested in having a "We just got ran out of town" party. I decided to come find you two instead, but now it's you five instead of you two, which just makes it even better!" said Pinkie Pie.

Rarity started to come around, but once she finally snapped out of it, she started whimpering. "All my work… my clothes, my materials, _my shop_!" She broke down into a heap of tears. Twilight and Applejack both walked over to try to console their dear friend.

"It's all right Rarity. Your shop can be rebuilt, your clothes remade, your materials replaced. We're just happy to know that you're safe." Twilight said, throwing her foreleg over Rarity's neck in an attempt to console her.

"That's right sugarcube. We'll all pitch in to get you back up and running in no time." said Applejack.

The two Pegasus ponies had come down to join their friends. Rarity looked to see them all smiling at her. She knew she would be ok, with friends like these to support her.

"Thank you… all of you. You have no idea how much that means to me." said Rarity, still fighting back a few tears. *sniff* "You all are such wonderful friends."

"Aw shucks Rarity, you know we're there for ya." said Applejack.

"Wait!" said Twilight. "If you two are down here, who's keeping an eye on the hydras?"

"Oh, yeah, about that." answered Rainbow Dash. "They're leaving town. I guess when they realized that nopony was around, they decided it wasn't worth staying. They were heading back into the forest. I'm gonna go talk the Mayor. I'd like to go take a closer look before giving the all clear."

"I think that's a great idea." said Twilight. Why don't the 6 of us go back first, to make sure that it's safe for the rest of the ponies to return? Dash and Fluttershy can fly ahead of the rest of us to make sure we don't walk into a trap."

"Sounds like a plan!" added Applejack.

"Okie dokie lokie" chirped Pinkie Pie.

"I'll go tell the Mayor what we're planning and will be right back." Rainbow Dash said and took off towards the barn.

"Rarity? Are you going to be ok coming with us? You don't have to if you're not ready. We'd all understand." asked Twilight.

"No no, I'll come. I need to see for myself just how bad things are." Rarity said, followed by a long sigh.

'We've been given the ok from the Mayor. Let's go!" shouted Dash as she shot up into the sky, Fluttershy slowly following.

"Please be careful." whispered Fluttershy as she went to catch up to Rainbow Dash.

As the six of them slowly approached the town, it became clear that Rarity's shop was not the only place to be damaged. Signs were on the grounds, carts crushed, roofs missing, windows broken. It looked like a tornado had just gone through the middle of Ponyville. However, it was clear that Rarity's shop had taken the full brunt of the abuse. Except for a partial wall, there was nothing left standing. Material and clothing were strewn everywhere. It looked like the hydra decided to sit on it and use it as a toilet!

"Woowee, that hydra _really_ didn't like your shop for some reason." Applejack said..

Rarity almost fainted again, but caught herself, leaning against a pile that used to be a cart. Her shop was a total loss. She would have to file a claim with her insurance company, which she knew would take forever. She would be lucky if her shop was rebuilt before the end of the year. She had no idea what she was going to do in the meantime. She flopped to the ground, not caring that she was getting dirty, at a complete loss of what to do. Twilight walked up to her, trying to think of a way to help her poor friend.

"Well Rarity, it looks like you and Sweetie Belle will need a place to stay for a while." said Twilight.

"Sweetie Belle can stay with us at the farm if'n that's ok with you. We have plenty of room and I _know_ Applebloom would love to have her around. Besides, it's best if she gets back to some sorta normal routine as quickly as possible." suggested Applejack.

"And you can stay with me Rarity. The library isn't very far from your shop. You'll be able to watch over the reconstruction without having to go far." said Twilight.

"Oh dear, I wouldn't want to impose." said Rarity.

"I'm inviting you silly, so you're not imposing at all. Really, I insist." replied Twilight.

"Are you sure I wouldn't be in your way?" Rarity asked, her spirits brightening a little.

"I'm sure. I might even be able to make enough space for you to continue working while your new shop is being built. It might not be much though, the library isn't that big." said Twilight.

Rarity grabbed up both Twilight and Applejack and hugged them as tightly as she could. "Oh, thank you _soooooo_ much. I really didn't know what I was going to do. You two are life savers!"

"_No problem._" Twilight and Applejack choked out in unison, trying to breathe. Rarity really could hug someone to death if she ever tried.

Rainbow dash found them in front of what was left of Rarity's shop and yelled down. "It's clear! The hydras are no where to be seen. I'm gonna go back and let the rest of the town know it's safe to return." With that, she started to head back towards the farm.

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" yelled Applejack. "Can you tell Sweetie Belle to stay there? She gonna stay with us until Rarity's shop is rebuilt."

"Sure thing" shouted Rainbow Dash and she took off.

"Well." said Twilight. "Why don't we go through this mess and see if there is anything that can be salvaged?"

"Ok. There might be something I can still use in there." said Rarity.

Pinkie Pie's head popped out of the remains of Rarity's shop. "How about this?" She tugged a sewing machine out of the pile. "It looks like it may still work."

"Pinkie Pie, that's wonderful!" Rarity cried out. She trotted over to see if it was in fact still functional. "I do believe you're right, although it does need a thorough cleaning."

Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity began sifting through what remained of the shop. Applejack went back to the farm to help Sweetie Belle settle in. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were helping the rest of the town's population clean up and recover. Everypony worked well into the evening, trying to straighten out the mess the hydras left behind. Eventually, it just became to dark to accomplish much, so everyone returned to their homes. Twilight lead Rarity back to the library with as much as they were able to salvage and found some room to store it in the back. After they put that away, Twilight asked Rarity to go to the main part of the library and make herself comfortable. "You can take a shower in a few minutes. I know you _really_ want to clean yourself up right now, but there is something else I think we should do first."

She collected two pieces of paper, a small ink jar and a quill and sat down next to Rarity. "We should write a letter to Sweetie Belle letting her know that everything is ok and why she is staying at Sweet Apple Acres for the time being. Since it's a short distance, I'm pretty sure I can teleport the letter there after you're done. The second letter is to request an appraiser to come and determine what will need to be done to rebuild your shop. The sooner we can get that done, the better."

It never ceased to amaze Rarity just how organized her friend was. "Twilight, I think you've really outdone yourself this time. It would have taken me a few days just to collect my thoughts."

Rarity wrote out a quick letter to Sweetie Belle letting her know what happened and why she was going to need to stay with Applejack for an undetermined amount of time. Twilight sent the letter to Sweet Apple Acres, c/o Applejack, as soon as Rarity finished it.

The letter to the insurance company took a little longer to write as Rarity wanted to be as descriptive as possible of the damages and losses that were incurred. They would wait until tomorrow to mail it.

Twilight let Rarity take a shower first. She knew that Rarity really needed it, not only because she had gotten dirty, but because it would help her to unwind. It would take Rarity at least an hour to clean herself up and to redo her mane and tail. While Rarity was taking a shower, Twilight tried to make a nice warm dinner for the two of them. She would take her own shower later.

'Twilight darling!" Rarity called down from the bathroom. "Do you have any conditioner? I can't seem to find any."

"Really?" Twilight asked, surprised. "I could have sworn I had some in there still." She had been working on making a soup, so she turned the heat down to let it simmer before headed upstairs. "I'll be right up. I think I have a new bottle somewhere."

"Oh, that's ok Twilight. You don't have to go looking for a new bottle. It's not that big of a…" Rarity managed to get out before being cut off.

"Found it!" Twilight said as she pulled the bottle out of a small closet just outside the bathroom. She went to open the door to take it in to Rarity.

Rarity was sitting in the tub, letting the hot water from the shower run down her neck and back. Through the semi clear shower screen, Twilight could see Rarity's silhouette as she was trying to wash some mud out of her tail. Twilight felt her cheeks warm a little as she started to blush. "Why am I blushing?" she thought to herself. "It's just Rarity. You've seen her wet before!"

"Rarity, I'll just leave this bottle near the shower for you." She set the bottle down and quickly left the bathroom.

"Thank you dear!" Rarity cooed as she moved the screen a little and grabbed the bottle. "I just can get my hair to cooperate without it."

"I don't get it." Twilight thought to herself as she headed back down to the kitchen. "Why on earth did I start blushing? I'm glad Rarity was too busy cleaning herself off to notice." She checked on the soup and added a little seasoning before taking it off the stovetop and serving up two bowls.

"Rarity, dinner's ready." Twilight called upstairs. "Don't take to much longer or it'll get cold."

"I'll be right there!" Rarity replied as she turned the water off and grabbed a towel. She came downstairs with the towel wrapped around her head. "It smells delightful dear. What did you make?"

"Oh, it's just a simple soup, some vegetables mixed in with a little timothy and alfalfa. I hope you like it." said Twilight.

Rarity took a small sip and her eyes popped open in surprise. "I had no idea you could make something this delicious!" As hungry as she was, she managed to refrain from gulping down the soup.

"I'm glad you like it." Twilight said and she sat down across from Rarity and started eating herself. "I'm going to take a shower once I'm done with dinner. I haven't straightened out the guest bed yet. If you're tired, you can use mine instead. I can use the guest bed for tonight."

"Oh, nonsense… I won't hear of it!" Rarity exclaimed. "You've done far too much for me already. I am quite awake after that wonderful shower. Just let me know where you keep the sheets and I'll set the bed up myself."

"But I can't let you do that!" Twilight replied, surprised. "What kind of host would I be if I made my guest make her own bed! _Please_, just wait until I'm done with my shower and I'll do it!"

"If you insist, I guess I can try and restyle my mane while you're showering." Rarity suggested as she took the towel off her head. "What a mess! I can't believe I was out in public looking like this!"

"Rarity, I think you worry a little too much of what other ponies think. You look just fine to me considering what you've gone through today." said Twilight as she got up to put her bowl away. "You look just fine to me even if you hadn't gone through this mess today" she thought to herself. "Wait, what? Where did that come from?" she thought as she looked over at her friend who was slowly brushing her mane back to its normal style. "Why am I thinking about her like this? Rarity's my friend! _She_ is my friend. _She's a mare_!" Twilight started blushing again.

Rarity just happened to look over at Twilight, noticing that she hadn't moved since taking the bowl over to the sink. Twilight was looking at her, and… was she blushing? "Twilight, are you ok?" she asked.

Realizing she'd been caught, she quickly tried to make up an excuse, blushing even deeper. "Oh, nothing, just… I… um…__" Twilight rattled off a little too loudly as she bolted to get Rarity a cup. "What would you like?"

"Um, water?" Rarity said, not sure what was going on in her friend's head.

"Water, sure!" Twilight exclaimed as she quickly filled the cup and put it in front of Rarity. "I'm gonna go take my shower now!"

"A cold shower." she thought, as she raced out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into the bathroom.

Rarity was at a loss for words. Not sure what to think, she finished the rest of her soup and took her bowl over to the sink. She washed both of the bowls, wanting to at least do something for Twilight as she had done so much for her today. Finishing the dishes, she walked into the main room of the library and sat down to finish styling her mane. Satisfied with the results, she looked around at the piles of books left lying around, some left their by Twilight, others knocked off the shelves by the hydras. She proceeded to put as many of the books away as she could manage before Twilight finished her shower.

Twilight had started to take her shower, but now she just stood there, not sure what to think or do. "Rarity probably thinks I've lost it!" she said to herself, shaking her head in her front hooves. She finished her shower and looked at herself in the mirror as she dried off. "Ok Twilight." she said to the mirror. "Take a deep breath and relax. Everything is fine. Rarity doesn't think you've gone mental. Just relax." Feeling a little better, she left the bathroom and proceeded to the linen closet to get the guest bed ready. On the way there, she heard movement downstairs and looked over the railing. Rarity was trying to clean up the library, and doing a pretty good job.

"Rarity, you really don't have to do that. Most of that is my mess anyway." Twilight said, trying to get her friend to relax instead of work.

"I insist Twilight. I want to do something to show how much I appreciate you taking me in on such short notice. _Please_ let me do this for you." Rarity cooed as she proceeded to give Twilight her puppy dog eyes look.

"Thank you Rarity. I do appreciate the help." Twilight said. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself that Rarity had given her the puppy dog eyes look. "Her eyes are pretty though." She froze. "Oh no, not again." she whispered to herself. "No, no, no, no, nonononono!" She bonked herself on the head a few times and went back to making the guest bed. "I've got to stop thinking about Rarity like that!" she thought as she placed a clean pillow on the guest bed.

"Rarity, your bed is ready whenever you are." Twilight said as she peeked over the banister. "I think you've done enough for one day, don't you?"

"I am pretty tired. Maybe I can finish this up for you tomorrow?" Rarity asked with a gentle smile.

"That would be great Rarity. Again, thank you." Twilight said. "I'm gonna go outside for a bit. I just want to get a little fresh air before I call it a night."

"Would you mind if I join you?" Rarity asked.

Twilight heart skipped a beat. Maybe inviting Rarity to stay here wasn't such a good idea. "Um… I… Ok…" Twilight somehow managed to say. With that, Rarity knew there was something going on that Twilight wasn't telling her about. She just wasn't sure whether to push the issue or not.

The two ponies went outside and around to the back of the library. Twilight had a small bench set up there where she liked to sit and watch the stars. It helped her to relax and think sometimes. Tonight was _not_ one of those times. She sat on one end of the bench, visibly shaking, staring at the sky. Rarity sat on the other end. They both watched the starts quietly for a while, but the silence started to feel a little awkward, so Rarity broke spoke up.

"Twilight, you seem to have something on your mind. You know you can talk to me about anything." Rarity said, trying to get Twilight to open up. It was obvious that whatever it was she had been thinking about that evening was driving her nuts.

At the sound of Rarity's voice, Twilight was quickly brought back to reality. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you ask? I was kinda off in my own little world there." Twilight replied, trying to hold a convincing smile, but failing miserably.

"I said, you seem to have something on your mind. I'm here for you if you need somepony to talk to you know." Rarity stated, trying not to sound upset at having to repeat herself. "What's wrong?"

So many questions were running through Twilight's head. Do I tell her the truth? How would she take it? Do _I_ even understand why I'm feeling like this? How can I tell her how I'm feeling when _I_ don't even understand it _myself_? Maybe I should lie? Maybe I should just tell her I'm fine and I'm just tired? She sat for a few minutes trying to decide what to say, started to say something, then stopped and began to think about it all over again.

"I'm sorry Twilight. Obviously it's something you just don't feel comfortable talking about right now. I'm sorry I tried to pry it out of you." Rarity said, somewhat embarrassed that she had put her friend into a corner like that. She got up and started to head back inside. "I'm going to go to bed. Don't stay up to late dear."

Rarity getting up to leave triggered something in Twilight and she finally managed to say something.

"_Wait Rarity_!" Twilight exclaimed, a little louder than she had wanted too. Rarity stopped and turned around to face her. "You're right. I do have something on my mind, and I want _very badly_ to talk to you about it, but I'm not sure how to start.

Rarity walked back to the bench, and stood in front of Twilight, curiosity written all over her face.

"Go ahead darling, I'm in no hurry to go to bed." Rarity said.

"I'm just not sure that now is the best time to say anything about it, since… well, since you have so much going on right now." Twilight said

"This has something to do with me then?" Rarity asked, her expression changing to one of concern.

"Yes Rarity, it does, which is why I'm not sure if I should say anything right now. I want to, but I don't want to hurt our friendship… and you've already been through so much today." Twilight said.

"Well." Rarity replied, "Despite what happened today, if it has something to do with me, I think I want to hear it. I can't imagine what you could possibly have to say that would make me not want to be your friend anymore."

"Ok." Twilight said, still not sure this was such a good idea. "I know that you noticed me blushing earlier and that obviously had nothing to do with forgetting to give you a drink."

"I sort of figured as much, go on." Rarity said.

"Well, that wasn't the only time I ended up blushing today. And you were always there when I did. The reason I was blushing so much… is because… I was thinking about you." Twilight ended in a whisper, acting more like Fluttershy.

"You were thinking about me, and you started to… oh" Rarity said as the light bulb went off in her head. "You mean?"

Twilight didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I see" said Rarity, trying to wrap her head around what Twilight trying to tell her. "For how long?"

"It just started today, which is why I'm so confused. I just don't know what to think anymore!" Twilight bawled, and she started crying. "I was thinking about how nice you looked in the shower, and how pretty your eyes were when you gave me your puppy dog eyes look, and how pretty you looked even when you thought you were a mess at dinner!"

'Oh sweetie, don't cry!" Rarity said softly as she hugged her friend gently, trying to calm her down, all the while trying to come to gripes with what she wanted to do about the whole situation. "Ok, so this is how I see it. We have two choices. We can either acknowledge how you've been feeling today as the start of something new… and explore it together."

Twilight's head shot up and almost clocked her friend in the neck. "Did I just hear you right? Twilight asked, confused, but not crying anymore.

"Yes dear, you did. Or we can treat the fact that you've been feeling like this today as some fluke, and just go back to being friends." Rarity replied.

Twilight sat stunned for a moment, contemplating the options that had been put before her. Rarity said that their friendship was not in jeopardy at the moment, despite what she had just been told, so she had a safe route out of this mess. On the other hand, she also said she would consider her feelings and be willing to explore the possibility of being together… as a couple… a mare/mare couple! She never thought she'd hear Rarity say that! Her friend was a lot more open minded than she had originally given her credit for. Her train of thought was interrupted when Rarity spoke up again.

"Now, I'm not saying that I've ever thought of you that way before. Actually, I've never thought of _any_ mare that way before for that matter, but you are my friend and your feelings matter to me. I have to admit that I would need to think about this a little more if you do choose to pursue your feelings, as I've never considered dating a mare before. Is that ok?"

Twilight nodded. "I've never thought about dating a mare either, until today, so I need to think about this more as well."

"Well then, how about this? We both have a lot to think about. Why don't we sleep on it and we can bring it up again in the morning over a nice warm breakfast? This time, I'll cook." Rarity said with a warm smile.

"I would like that… thank you Rarity." Twilight said and gave Rarity a small hug.

Both ponies went back inside and settled into their own beds for the night, both with a lot to think about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Of the two ponies, Twilight Sparkle got the least amount of sleep that night. She had a very difficult decision to make in the morning and with so many thoughts racing through her head, she wasn't able to even get to sleep for about 3 hours after they both went to bed. She laid there during that time, looking over at the other occupied bed, wondering what she should do. She liked Rarity, she knew that feeling. She could handle liking Rarity, but she wasn't sure if she could fall in love with her… or had she already and just never paid it any attention? And if she could let herself fall in love with Rarity, would Rarity ever feel the same way about her?

She had to face the fact that she had dropped a bombshell on Rarity… and much to her surprise, Rarity had taken it in stride. She didn't get angry at her, which she had expected. She didn't run away. She had simple asked for some time to think about it… and not even a very long time, just one night. Just with that conversation, she had grown a new respect for Rarity.

What Twilight didn't know was that Rarity wasn't asleep when she was looking at her. She too was finding it difficult to sleep with so much on her mind… her shop, Sweetie Belle, and now Twilight. What surprised Rarity the most, however, was how much her mind was focused on what Twilight had said. Twilight was attracted to her. What should she do? She had asked Twilight for one night to think it over. Should she have asked for more time? In the morning, they were supposed to pick up where they had left off… and she didn't even know what Twilight was going to say to her then. Would she decide to just drop the whole thing and pretend it never happened? Or would she decide to pursue her feelings for Rarity? She guessed that the later was where she needed to focus her attention right now. What if Twilight wants to see this through? What do I want to do if that is what she wants? She had dated a colt or two before, a few years back, but they never could hold her attention. She had dreamed of becoming a couple with the Prince, but that had turned out to be a nightmare. Maybe this was worth considering? Twilight wasn't a bad pony. Actually, she was quite sweet, being the first to offer to take Rarity in. She wasn't ugly by any meaning of the word. But, she was a mare. Twilight was a mare, no matter how Rarity looked at it. Could she do that? It wasn't unheard of, but she had also seen how those ponies had been treated by others. Was that something she could handle? Right then, she remembered something that Twilight had said to her earlier that night.

"Rarity, I think you worry a little too much of what other ponies think."

Was she right? Did she give to much weight to the opinions of others? Should their opinions matter when it came to love?

Both ponies did eventually fall asleep, but neither had completely resolved the questions in their hearts.

The next morning, Twilight awoke to a wonderful smell. She had never smelled anything like it before. She sat up and looked over to the other bed. It was empty. Rarity must have already gotten up and was working on breakfast like she had promised the night before. Twilight got out of bed and went over to the bathroom to clean herself up before going to down to met Rarity.

"This is it Twilight." she said to herself. "What do you want to do?"

She stared at the mirror intently, trying to stare inside herself for the answer she so desperately wanted to find. All she saw was her tired face.

She left the bathroom and went down to the kitchen. Rarity was at the oven, looking at a timer. "Good morning Rarity." Twilight said as she entered. "Whatcha making?"

"Oh! Good morning Twilight. I'm trying to make a family variation of apple fritters, but I'm not sure if it's going to turn out ok." Rarity said with a worried expression on her face.

"Well, it smells wonderful. I'm looking forward to trying it." Twilight said, as she went to the cabinet to get two plates.

"I think they are done." said Rarity as she opened the oven door. The delightful smell intensified. "They look ok."

Rarity served two to Twilight, then two to herself. They sat down at the little table the two had eaten dinner at the night before.

Rarity waited patiently for Twilight to have a taste. She wasn't sure if Twilight would like it or not.

"Rarity, this tastes incredible! You _have _to teach me how to make this!" Twilight said, trying not to devour her breakfast.

Rarity smiled and began to eat her portion. At some point in the meal, they both looked up and their eyes met. They both knew there was more to be said then how good breakfast had turned out, but neither one could seem to start.

Twilight somehow managed to gather up enough confidence up to bring up last night's conversation.

"Rarity, do you… do you mind… if we talk about last night?" she started, trying not to show just how nervous she really was.

"No, I don't mind Twilight, but I don't think I know where to start." Rarity said, looking down at her almost empty plate.

"Can I start then?" Twilight asked.

"Um, sure, go ahead." said Rarity.

"I didn't really sleep much last night. I _really _wanted to think this through and come to a decision… and I think I have." Twilight said, surprising herself with that last bit. Her heart, right there and then, had made the decision for her. "I want to do this Rarity. I want to explore these feelings I have for you… and well, what would be a better way of putting it? Rarity, will you… go… out with me?"

Rarity just stared at Twilight for a moment. She had known that there was a chance that Twilight would want to pursue her feelings. Was she really willing to try this? There was only one way she was going to find out.

"Yes" Rarity said, a little blush crossing her cheeks.

"_Really_!" Twilight shouted, unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Really darling." Rarity replied. "I want to see where this leads us."

Twilight dodged around the table and hugged Rarity as warmly as she could. "Thank you Rarity. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" was all that Twilight could say.

"But" Rarity said, gently pushing Twilight away. "Let's take this slowly and I'm not ready for anyone else to know about this. Can you promise to keep this between the two of us until I'm ready?"

"Of course Rarity!" Twilight said. "How does Pinkie Pie put it? Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She smiled.

"Thank you dear." Rarity said, and she pulled Twilight back for another hug.

After a short hug, the two ponies finished their breakfast. After Twilight cleaned up the plates, they proceeded to rearrange part of the library so that Rarity would have a place to work. It was only a small corner, but it was enough space for her to work on one outfit at a time. Satisfied with what they had accomplished, they left the library to go mail the letter that Rarity had written the night before. As they headed for the small post office, they noticed some activity around Rarity's shop. As they got closer, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both walking around the wreckage. Twilight and Rarity ran over to great them.

"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna! Welcome!" said Twilight as they approached. Once they were close enough, they both bowed.

"Good morning Twilight Sparkle." said Princess Celestia. "Good morning to you too Rarity."

"Good morning Princess Celestia, Princess Luna" said Rarity. "I was not expecting too see you here this morning."

"Good point Rarity." Twilight said. "What brought you _both_ to Ponyville today?"

"The Mayor sent an urgent letter to us last night describing what happened yesterday. We decided to come to see how well Ponyville had faired and to offer any assistance if needed. However, it appears that most of the damage to the town is minor… except for this." Princess Celestia said, pointing to the remains of Rarity's shop.

"What was this place?' Princess Luna asked. "There is so little of it left, and I haven't been here often enough to remember what stood here before."

Rarity tried to fight back a tear as she told Princess Luna that the pile of debris was the remains of her shop/home. Twilight placed a hoof over Rarity's neck and gave her a gentle hug, trying to console her.

"Oh Rarity!" Princess Luna said. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Are you going to be ok?"

Twilight spoke up for Rarity. "She staying with me until her shop can be rebuilt. We were on our way to mail a letter to her insurance company to get the process started."

"No." Princess Celestia said. "That just won't do. It takes far too long for those insurance companies to get off their flanks to do something. I will take care of this personally. Luna, I need you to do something for me. Can you please return to Canterlot and get a royal work order created for the reconstruction of Rarity's shop."

"Of course Celestia, I'll take my leave now." said Princess Luna as she called their carriage over.

"Rarity." said Princess Celestia. "We will have your shop rebuilt within the month. I need you to make a list of everything that was lost and if you have photos of the old shop, I will need those too."

Rarity's rear legs gave out on her and Twilight Sparkle both looked at the Princess in shock. The royal family was going to intervene on Rarity's behalf! Rarity was speechless. She looked at Princess Celestia, tears streaming down her face, and nodded. Then a thought came to her. "Princess Celestia, I don't think I have enough saved up to pay for the work to be started so quickly."

"Oh, Rarity, you don't have to worry about that." Princess Celestia said, a smile on her face. "I will send the bill for the repairs directly to your insurance company along with a letter from me explaining the situation. Your insurance company _will_ take care of the bill, I assure you. May I have the letter you were about to mail? It will help me later when I have to deal with them."

Twilight took the letter out of the saddlebag she had put on before leaving the library. "Here you go Princess. I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing for Rarity! It really means a lot to both of us."

They both bowed again and Princess Celestia returned to Canterlot. With the rest of the day now free, Twilight and Rarity weren't exactly sure what to do. They decided to go back to the library. Rarity went to the back to bring some of her materials to her new little shop. Twilight had grabbed a few books on tailoring and was skimming through them. Rarity was somewhat surprised by Twilight's choice of topic.

"I didn't know you had an interest in tailoring Twilight." Rarity said, a delighted smile on her face.

"Well, you know me Rarity, I have an interest in _every_ topic. I just thought if I learned some more about tailoring, that I might be able to help you with your work." Twilight said, with a little blush.

"Oh!" Rarity said. "I would like that very much, but for now, I have a better idea."

Twilight's head popped out of the book and looked at Rarity.

"My modeling frames were all destroyed, so I want you to model for me!" Rarity said with a big smile on her face, clapping her hooves together. "Come on dear, it will be fun!" She waved for Twilight to get up and come over to where she was.

Twilight got up and moved to where Rarity was pointing. "Are you sure about this Rarity? I've never done anything like this before. I don't want to do something wrong and cause you to make a mistake or get hurt." Twilight said, trying not to admit that she was still a little nervous being that close to Rarity.

"Yes, I'm sure dear. Don't worry, I just need you to stand still and I'll move you as needed. You trust me right?" said Rarity.

"Of course I do Rarity. Ok, let's do this!" Twilight said as she tried to stand still as best she could. She practically turned herself into a statue. Rarity tried to move one of Twilight's front legs but it would not budge.

"Ok, dear, you need to relax a little. I do still need to be able to move you some." Rarity said, letting a little chuckle escape her mouth. Twilight blushed.

"I'm sorry Rarity" she said as she tried to relax a little.

"Perfect!" said Rarity as she move Twilight's front leg into position. Twilight was still blushing.

"Ok, now I'm going to move the rear opposite leg" Rarity said, moving around to the opposite side. The second that Rarity touched Twilight's flank, Twilight's face went red as a beat and Rarity started to blush a little as well. Rarity's heart fluttered a little bit as she finished positioning Twilight's leg, noticing how soft her skin was. She thought to herself "I remember this feeling, but it has been quite some time since I last felt it." She looked up to see Twilight's face, and seeing how much Twilight was blushing, blushed even deeper. "I'm sorry Twilight. I guess I didn't really think this through. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Twilight realized she was making Rarity feel uncomfortable by being so nervous. "Get a grip Twilight" she thought to herself. "No, Rarity. I want to do this. I just… well, liked it… that's all." Twilight said, still blushing deeply. She motioned for Rarity to come back towards her face. Rarity walked up to her, almost nose to nose. Twilight leaned over, not moving any part of her body that Rarity had already positioned, and kissed Rarity on the cheek. Rarity froze, looking into Twilight's eyes as she moved back.

Rarity put a hoof up to where Twilight had just kissed her. Her face was warm and a gentle smile spread across her lips. She walked around to the other side of Twilight and kissed her on the cheek as she went back to get her materials ready. Twilight smiled, as a warm feeling moved through her entire body. Rarity had kissed her back. She felt like jumping up and down and yelling "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!", but she managed to restrain herself. She didn't want Rarity to have to redo what she just finished. A small thought popped into her head. "Or maybe I do." She smiled, and blushed a little more.

Rarity worked quickly. She already had an idea in mind, and she couldn't have a better model. Twilight didn't move an inch. She fashioned a flowing dress that started at Twilight's neck and finish about a foot behind her tail. She had lost all of her gems in the disaster, but she had been able to recover some ribbon and lace and she incorporated both in seamlessly. In a few more minutes, she stood back, looking over her work. She was delighted with how the simple dress had turned out, but she kept catching herself looking more at Twilight than the dress. "This must be what Twilight had been talking about last night" she thought to herself as she tried to focus on looking at the dress for any flaws. Satisfied with her work, she turned to face Twilight. 'How about we take you to a mirror. I want your opinion on this." Rarity said, looking around for a mirror.

"Hang on, Rarity" Twilight said, "I'll get the mirror that Spike likes to look at himself in when he thinks no one is looking." She chuckled, using her magic to bring the mirror down from the second floor. She placed it on the floor and leaned it slightly against one of the book shelves. "Will this work?"

"It's a little smaller than I'm used to working with, but I think it will do just fine." Rarity said. "So, what do you think?"

Twilight looked at herself in the mirror, turning around slowly to view the dress from as many angles as she could. "I like it Rarity. It's simple, but very pretty. I'm amazed at what you can do with so little material." Twilight said.

Rarity smiled. "It's what I do dear, but I am happy that you like it."

"We should go get you some more materials this afternoon… and maybe a large mirror or two?" Twilight asked.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I don't think I need to get a new modeling frame for a while though… I have the perfect one standing right here!" Rarity said, a little blush filling her cheeks.

"Awwww, Rarity. Thank you." Twilight said, blushing profusely.

The two mares shared a hug. Rarity helped Twilight out of the dress and laid it on a small table that Twilight had brought out from the back. They had a small bite to eat for lunch, just a couple apples and some water, and proceeded to the nearest general store to purchase some bolts of fabric, some more ribbon and lace, and some new needles and pins. It wasn't the high quality material that Rarity liked to special order from Canterlot, but she had to start small and work her way back up to those.

Their next stop was the glass maker's shop. This was the other reason that Rarity could not spend too much on new materials. Her old mirrors were completely shattered and news ones of the same size and quality were expensive, but necessary if she was to do her work properly and quickly. She could see more angles in less time and the high quality of the mirrors would show even the slightly flaw in her designs. She was told it would take a week for two mirrors to be made and she had to put down one hundred and fifty bits as a deposit. They would be two hundred and seventy five bits total.

"Wow Rarity, I had no idea how expensive your mirrors were and you had at least three of them before." Twilight said.

"Well, I started out with only one. I added the other two about a year later, but you're right, they are not cheap." said Rarity, "which is why I will be including them in the list of damages/losses for the Princess.

"Oh, you're right Rarity. We should take care of that when we get back to the library" said Twilight.

"Ok" said Rarity. "I think we should have dinner first, but I would appreciate your help. I don't want to forget to list anything and you are just so good at organizing things. Oh! There is one more thing I _really_ should get before we go back. The table you gave me to use is nice, but it's not going to be enough to show my completed work properly. I really should get a new clothing rack… just one though. I don't want to take up to much space."

They went back to the general store to see if they had any clothing racks for sale, but they didn't. The pony behind the counter recommended another store a few building down, so they tried there. They did have a few, but they were rather small. Rarity looked at them for a few minutes, then said "Well, it's better than not having one at all. I'll take two of these. Together, they'll be about the same size as one of my old ones. I should have figured that I wouldn't be able to find ones like I had anywhere in Ponyville. I bought the old ones in Canterlot, and that was from a specialty shop."

They headed back to the library. Twilight started dinner while Rarity put away the new materials she had just purchased. She moved the new clothing racks over to her corner of the library and put the new dress she had made early on one. Over dinner, they had an interesting conversation about why Rarity had started her shop in Ponyville. Afterwards, they sat down and began to write a formal list of the damages and losses to send to Princess Celestia. Twilight had Rarity review it several times to make sure she had not forgotten anything. While it made Rarity want to cry again, reading over all the items she had lost, she understood the need. When Rarity was satisfied that she had not forgotten to list something important, they placed it in an envelope. They were able to find a few pictures of the old Carousel Boutique in some newspapers and put those in the envelope as well. Normally, Twilight would have asked Spike to send it to the Princess directly, but he would not be back for another week. They would have to take it to the post office in the morning and have it sent as fast as reasonably possible. Twilight leaned over and gave Rarity a tender hug, knowing how much she was hurting right now, and Rarity let herself cry on Twilight's shoulder. Twilight wanted nothing more than to be there for Rarity and to help her get through this difficult time.

After Rarity had settled down, they just sat together for a while, Twilight still holding Rarity close. "Rarity," Twilight said, "would you like to take bath tonight? I can get it ready for you."

Rarity slowly let go of her embrace on Twilight and replied "I'd like that. Thank you so much dear."

"No problem." said Twilight and she got up to go get Rarity's bath ready. Rarity watched Twilight as she walked away, up the stairs, and disappeared around the corner. She had enjoyed being held. She hadn't been held like that in a long time, and she really didn't want it to stop either. "I think I'm falling for you too, Twilight," she quietly said to herself.

After a few minutes, Twilight poked her head around the corner. "It's ready Rarity, come on up when you're ready."

Rarity got up and made her way up the stairs to the bathroom. She noticed a pleasant smell as she approached. "Lavender?" she thought to herself. When she turned the corner into the bathroom, she saw the tub, steam rising off the water, and a small candle near in one corner. "Oh Twilight, it smells wonderful!"

Twilight moved out of her way and out to the hallway. "Relax and enjoy Rarity. I'm going to clean up a little downstairs." Twilight said as she closed the door behind her. Rarity stepped carefully into the tub, and slowly sat down. The water felt wonderful, her muscles slowly unwinding from the heat. The lavender candle also helped her to relax, almost a little too well. She had to be careful that she didn't fall asleep.

Twilight quickly cleaned up the plates from dinner and straightened up the library a little. She was afraid to touch anything in Rarity's corner, not really sure if everything was where it belonged or not. The last book she picked up to put away was the book she had been reading about tailoring. She decided to bring that book upstairs to bed to pass the time while Rarity enjoyed her bath. She had only gotten through about half of the small book when she heard Rarity getting out of the tub. She heard the water draining away and the door open. Rarity came out with a towel around her head again. "Oh, that was _absolutely _wonderful. I had no idea I had become so tense, although I guess I know why." Rarity said as she approached Twilight to see what she had been reading. "Oh, so you started reading it again. Is there anything you don't understand?

Twilight looked up from the book. "I have been able to follow most of it, but without actually doing any of it, I'm not really sure if I'm really learning anything." said Twilight. "There seems to be a lot of hooves on illustrations, and I've never tried this before."

"You'd be surprised how much you learn from trying to sew rather than from reading about it. Reading about it only gets you so far, but without the experience of actually handling the material and thread, you really won't get anywhere. Tell you what, I'll let you finish reading that book and tomorrow morning, after we mail that letter out, I will teach you personally. How does that sound?" Rarity said with a wink.

"_Really!"_ said Twilight. "I don't want to get in the way of your work."

"Oh, it's no bother at all. No one knows that I have set up shop here yet, so I don't have any new orders to worry about.

"I guess we should get word out that you are working from here now." said Twilight.

"We can worry about that tomorrow afternoon." Rarity said. "I'm not quite sure I'm ready to go back to a full work load yet anyway. I'm rather enjoying this down time… with you." Twilight blushed. "Well, I'm going to try to get some more sleep than I did last night. Sweet dreams." Rarity took the towel off her head, worked her way under the blankets, and quickly fell asleep. Twilight tried to concentrate on finishing the rest of the book, but she kept stopping to look at the pretty, sleeping face in the other bed. After doing this several times, she gave up on finishing the book that night and snuggled under her own blankets. "Good night Rarity." she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Twilight was the first to wake up the next morning. She quietly slipped out of bed and tip toed down the hall to the bathroom, not wanting to wake Rarity up. She was glad that Rarity was sleeping in. With everything that had happened over the past two days, Twilight knew Rarity was in desperate need of a good night's sleep. After going through her usual morning routine, she careful slipped down to the first floor and over to a book shelf where she kept a few books on cooking. After flipping through two of them, she found what she was looking for and took the book into the kitchen to begin making breakfast.

Rarity woke up a short time later to the smell of oatmeal, but there was something different about the smell. It was sweeter than usual, but she could not figure out what the additional scent was. She looked over to Twilight's bed and noticed it was empty. "Twilight must be making breakfast" she thought to herself as she got out of bed. She felt very well rested, which was a pleasant change to how she had been feeling recently. "_Twilight?_" she shouted from the second floor. "_Would you like some help?_"

"_Oh! Good morning Rarity. I hope you slept well. I am doing ok in here, take your time._" Twilight shouted back from the kitchen.

Rarity smiled gently towards the kitchen. "_Whatever it is you're making smells very nice. I can't wait to find out what it is_." she shouted. She walked over to the bathroom and started working out the tangles in her mane and tail that had accumulated overnight. After fussing over herself for about twenty minutes, she was finally satisfied with her work and went downstairs to join Twilight in the kitchen. "So darling, what lovely meal have you been working on this morning?"

"It's actually another simple meal Rarity." said Twilight as she turned off the stovetop. She scooped their breakfast out of the pot and then added a little bit of cinnamon to the top, just enough to lightly dust it. "It's just oatmeal, with some raisins and apples cooked in. The cinnamon is added to offset the sweetness of the fruit." she said as she brought two bowls over to the small kitchen table. "I hope you like it."

"So that was the sweet smell. I've never tried it with raisins cooked in before." Rarity said as she blew on the oatmeal to cool it down some. She stirred the cinnamon in and then tried a small taste. Twilight was right! The cinnamon was a perfect offset to the sweet fruit, complimenting it nicely. "This is really good." Rarity said. She quickly finished off the rest of her bowl and asked for a second helping.

Twilight took Rarity's bowl and went back over to the pot to make another serving. "So, what do you have in mind for this morning Rarity?" Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder at Rarity.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is to get that letter out to Princess Celestia, but I'm guessing you were talking about your first sewing lesson." Rarity said. "I think I will just try to show you some of the basics today… how to handle needle and thread, safety and proper use of a sewing machine, and maybe a few basic stitch patterns. Does that sound ok to you?" 

"That sounds great Rarity. I'm looking forward to your lesson." Twilight said before she took her last bite of breakfast. She was about to get started on cleaning up the kitchen, but Rarity stuck her hoof in Twilight's way.

"I don't _think_ so Twilight Sparkle! I will not allow you to clean this up after taking the time to make it. You go relax." Rarity said, ushering Twilight out of the kitchen. "_I_ will take care of the dishes."

"But…" was all Twilight managed to get out before Rarity's gaze told her it was a lost cause to try to argue. She smiled at Rarity and walked back upstairs to her bed, picking up the book she had taken up with her the night before and picking up where she left off with a cute belly flop onto the bed. She could hear Rarity clearing the table and washing the dishes, but it wasn't loud enough to be a distraction. She was almost done with the book when she heard Rarity coming up the stairs.

"I'm ready to go when you are dear." Rarity said as she reached the top of the stairs. She smiled as she saw Twilight lying on her belly, her two front hooves holding her face in front of the book. "She is a little bookworm." she thought to herself.

"I'm ready." Twilight said as she bookmarked the page and closed the book. She placed it on her nightstand and crawled off the bed. They both went back downstairs and Twilight placed a saddlebag on her back. She levitated the letter off a nearby table and placed it into her saddlebag.

Rarity and Twilight exited the library and Twilight turned around to lock the door. She heard a gasp come from behind her and turned to find out why. Rarity turned around at the same time to try to get Twilight's attention. They wound up nose to nose, both blushing.

"Is everything ok?" Twilight asked Rarity as she slowly took a step back, managing to keep her eyes on Rarity's face.

"Better than ok actually." said Rarity, pointing over to where her shop once stood. "Look for yourself."

Twilight looked over to where Rarity was pointing and a small gasp escaped her lips also. Most of the debris had been cleared away into a pile behind where the shop once stood, leaving the ground clear over the old foundation. Next to the pile, a handful of ponies were looking over some papers, occasionally glancing over at the foundation. There were also a few pieces of construction equipment, including a small wrecking ball. Twilight and Rarity walked over to see who the ponies were.

"Hello." said Rarity. "My name is Rarity and this is my dear friend, Twilight Sparkle."

"Oh!" one of the ponies said, stepping forward. "We were just about to go over to the library to talk to you. My name is Barn Stormer. We represent The Canterlot Construction Company." He handed Rarity a business card. "We have been contracted by Princess Luna to rebuild the Carousel Boutique. We just started clearing away the old building early this morning."

"That's impressive!" said Twilight. "We didn't hear anything at all."

"Oh." said one of the other ponies, a unicorn. "Since we were starting so early in the morning, I made sure to place a sound dampening spell around the site. We don't want to make your neighbors angry. I'll take the spell down once we clear the last of the debris away from the foundation."

Barn Stormer spoke up again. "I want to take a thorough look at the foundation to see if it has sustained any damage. As long as the foundation is still solid, we will likely start reconstruction by the beginning of next week. It will take us a few days to have all of the debris removed from the site."

"Rarity, that's _great_ news!" Twilight said, giving Rarity a hug. Rarity felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off her shoulders despite Twilight holding onto her.

Barn Stormer spoke up again. "We will likely be able to start construction soon. We are hoping to have the building completed by the end of this coming month, as long as we don't experience any weather delays."

Rarity almost couldn't believe it. One month and things would be back to the way they were. She had a huge smile on her face.

"That's wonderful! Thank you very much for the hard work you've already done. Is there anything else you need from me?" Rarity said.

"I would like to review the blueprints with you before the end of the day if you have the time." Barn Stormer said. "They are not complete yet, as we are waiting for a copy of the old blueprints, but the basic floor plan is there."

"Would this afternoon be ok?" Rarity said. "I'm afraid I already made plans for this morning."

Twilight leaned over and whispered very close to Rarity's ear. "You don't have to put this off for my sewing lesson. This is more important."

Rarity turned to face Twilight and whispered back to her. "My dear Twilight, y_ou _are more important. This can wait until later today." Twilight's face turned beat red and Rarity gave her a gentle smile before turning around to address Barn Stormer.

"This afternoon will be fine Miss Rarity. We may even have a copy of the old blueprints by then." Barn Stormer said.

The construction crew went back to the papers they had been looking at before. Rarity and Twilight continued on to the post office. Derpy was behind the counter when they walked in.

"Good morning Derpy dear." said Rarity. "I've got a very important letter I need to get to Princess Celestia in Canterlot. How soon can you get it there?"

"Good morning Rarity. Well, if you want to send it by regular mail, it would go out with the mid day run." Derpy said. "That would get to the princess by tomorrow afternoon most likely. If that isn't fast enough, you can send it by priority mail. She would have it by the end of the day."

"How much more would it cost to send it priority Derpy?" Rarity asked. Twilight used her magic to pull the envelope out of her saddlebag and placed it on the counter in front of Derpy. Derpy took the envelope in her mouth and placed it on a scale.

"If you want to send this by standard mail, it will be two bits. If you want it sent priority, it will be five bits." said Derpy.

"I don't think Princess Celestia would need it any faster than tomorrow Rarity." Twilight said.

"Well Twilight, you know her better than I do." Rarity said. "Just send it by standard mail Derpy." She placed two bits on the counter. Derpy finished filling out the shipping receipt and handed Rarity her copy.

"Since you said it was important, there is a tracking number on the bottom of that receipt. You can call anytime during normal business hours and we will be able to tell you if the envelope has been delivered yet." Derpy said. "Have a nice day you two." She stuck the post office copy onto the envelope and placed it in a mail bin to be sorted for delivery.

Rarity and Twilight headed back to the library for Twilight's lesson. Twilight put her saddlebag away while Rarity went into the back to gather some materials together. They both met back up in Rarity's corner of the library. Rarity placed the materials she had gathered up on the little table and spread them out so Twilight could see each one better.

"Ok, I guess the first place to start would be needlework." Rarity said as she used her magic to pick up a needle and a small spool of thread. She spun a little thread off the spool and showed Twilight how to thread the needle. "Ok, now your turn."

Twilight used her magic to try to repeat what Rarity had just shown her. It took her a little while to get the thread off the spool and she missed the eye of the needle several times, but she eventually got it through. The frustration was showing on Twilight's face. Rarity smiled.

"There you go dear." Rarity said. "Don't worry about it taking a few tries. Almost no one gets it on their first try… me included."

Twilight returned Rarity's smile, the frustration melting off her face. She repeated the exercise a few times, until she felt confident in her ability to thread the needle properly. Next, Rarity brought over a scrap piece of fabric and demonstrated how to make several stitch patterns, explaining when was the best time to use each pattern and why. Twilight found it just as difficult to do the patterns correctly the first time, but she caught on quickly and was able to do each one properly. Rarity was impressed at how quickly Twilight was picking this up.

"You said you've never done this before right?" Rarity asked as Twilight finished the last pattern almost flawlessly.

"Never." said Twilight, putting the needle down and comparing her work to Rarity's example. "Looks like I need to try this again. I still don't have it completely right."

Rarity mouth almost hit the floor. "Twilight, you've only been doing this for about an hour and your work almost matches mine… _and I've been doing this for years_!" Rarity said, flabbergasted. "It normally takes weeks, sometimes even _months_ for someone to learn how to make these patterns as well as you are now. I'm beyond impressed darling! It looks like you may just have a natural talent for this."

Twilight blushed slightly. Rarity, satisfied that Twilight knew what she was doing, decided to move on to the last part of her lesson for today. She picked up a full spool and bobbin and showed Twilight how to load the sewing machine. The process was simple, so Twilight only needed to do it once. Next, Rarity grabbed two more spare pieces of fabric and lined them up for the sewing machine.

"Ok Twilight, I'm going to teach you how to do this a little differently." Rarity said. She had Twilight step in front of the sewing machine and guided her front hooves up to the right placement on the fabric. Then she stood beside Twilight, their sides pressed against each other, and placed her front hooves on Twilight's. Twilight didn't think her face could get any hotter as she glanced over at Rarity's face, merely inches away. Rarity was blushing also, but she knew this was the best way to show Twilight how to run the sewing machine not only correctly, but safely. "Twilight, I know this is going to be a little distracting… for both of us… but I really need you to focus now. You can get hurt really badly if you don't pay attention." She forced herself to bring her face from a crimson red to a light pink and Twilight followed suit. They ran several spare pieces of material through the machine, slowly becoming more comfortable with the other's touch. Each time, Rarity was holding Twilight's hooves, making sure that she fed the material through the machine correctly and that Twilight's hooves were safely away from the needle. Satisfied that Twilight knew how to handle the sewing machine, she went into the back and brought out some of her nicer material. She walked Twilight through how to take measurements and then said something that Twilight was not expecting.

"Ok Twilight, I want you to make me a dress."

Twilight just stood there for a few seconds, staring at Rarity, asking herself if she had just heard her right. 'You want me to do _what_? Twilight finally managed to say.

"You heard me. I'll walk you through from start to finish, but I want _you _to make me a dress." Rarity said with a smile.

"Ok Rarity. If you think I can do it, then who am I to argue. What should I do first?" Twilight asked.

"Well, the first thing you need to do is draw a picture of the dress you want to make. Think of the pony and their personality and likes, then picture a dress that you feel will best suit those qualities." said Rarity. "Now, I'm not going to tell you my preferences. We've been friends with each other long enough that you probably know most of them anyway, but…" She said the rest with a little smirk on her face. "I also want you to learn the ones that you don't know about me." Her smirk turned into a shy smile as she looked into Twilight's face.

Twilight stepped up to Rarity and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, then said "I look forward to learning more about you."

Twilight brought a quill, some paper, and a small jar of ink over to the table and began sketching out a picture of Rarity, occasionally looking over at her for reference. Once she had her picture drawn, which was drawn _very_ well, she stood there for a moment looking at Rarity, letting her eyes wander from her head to her tail, trying to come up with a dress design that would suit the mare she cared for so much. Suddenly, the image of the perfect dress popped into her head and she began furiously sketching it onto the picture. After a few minutes, she put the quill down and waived for Rarity to come look.

Rarity almost started to cry when she saw the picture, not because it looked bad, but because it looked amazing. She had never thought that Twilight would have any sense for style, but the dress she had drawn for her was not only beautiful, it fit her preferences perfectly. She looked at Twilight and then threw her hooves around her, giving her as big a hug as she could muster. "Oh Twilight, this looks absolutely amazing!" She let Twilight go and stared in awe at her friend. "I can't wait to try this on! Now it's time for measurements."

Rarity grabbed the tape measure and handed it over to Twilight. "Ok, go for it." Rarity said, her blush returning a little. Twilight started at Rarity's shoulders and, while jotting down the measurements on the side of the picture she had drawn, slowly worked her way back. When she reached Rarity's flanks, both of their faces were crimson. Twilight tried to take the last few measurements as quickly as she could, not wanting Rarity to think she was trying to feel her up. When she finished writing the last measurement down, she look at Rarity's face and saw an expression she had never seen on her before… a mixture of embarrassment and happiness.

Rarity had enjoyed having Twilight take her measurements, almost a little too much, and she was having a very hard time hiding the fact. "I need to use the bathroom Twilight. I'll be right back." Rarity said as she quickly excused herself and almost bolted up to the second floor.

Twilight was left smiling. She had enjoyed taking Rarity's measurements as well, but it obviously had a more profound effect on Rarity than it had on her. She sat down and remembered how nice it was to be so close to Rarity, how soft she felt, how nice she smelled. Twilight had a feeling of wholeness that she had never felt before. With Rarity around, a part of her felt complete.

It took Rarity a few minutes to gather her composure. She hadn't felt that way in a long time, and she found herself missing those feelings. There was no doubt about it now. Rarity knew that she had feelings for Twilight, strong feelings. Mare or not, Rarity didn't care anymore. She had fallen in love with Twilight Sparkle and _no one_ was _ever_ going to convince her that it was wrong. She hurried back down stairs.

Twilight heard the bathroom door open and saw Rarity coming down the stairs rapidly, a big smile on her face. She almost had no time to react as Rarity, coming to a stop at the last possible second, planted a kiss on her lips, bringing both of them up onto their hind legs. Her eyes shot wide open as Rarity reached up to embrace her and pulled her close. Her eyes closed and they both were lost in their first real kiss.

They remained embraced for a little while after their kiss had stopped, simply looking into each others eyes with a new feeling of closeness. Twilight was the first to break the silence.

"You definitely know how to sweep a mare off her feet Rarity." said Twilight.

Rarity blushed. "I just couldn't hold myself back any longer. I hope I wasn't too forward." said Rarity. "Although, now that we've gotten that out of our system… at least for a little while, why don't we try finishing that beautiful dress?"

"No, I didn't mind _that _at all." Twilight said with a big smile. "I managed to take the last measurement before you bolted, so I think I'm ready to start cutting the fabric."

They spent the next few hours piecing the dress together. Rarity was very impressed with how well Twilight was doing with her first full piece. She only had to make a few minor corrections. This time Rarity got to play the role of the dress mannequin. Twilight lifted the completed dress from the sewing machine and carefully placed it on Rarity, checking to see if any part of the dress did not fit right. Satisfied that the dress was a perfect fit, she walked with Rarity over to the small mirror. Rarity's eyes opened wide as she took in the new dress on her. A tear rolled gently down her cheek.

"Oh Twilight, this… this dress is absolutely beautiful." Rarity said, turning to give Twilight another, shorter kiss.

"I'm glad you like it." Twilight said. "It wouldn't have turned out as well if you hadn't been there to guide me."

"Like it? I _love_ it!" Rarity said, doing a little twirl in front of Twilight. "I am going to wear this for the rest of the day, just to show off your work! As a matter of fact…" Rarity started nudging Twilight towards the front door. "There is only one other pony I know that can appreciate the hard work that went into this dress. We are going to go visit Fluttershy _right now_!" Rarity said.

"Ok Rarity! I'm going, _I'm going_!" Twilight said, opening the front door.

They took their time walking through the center of town towards Fluttershy's house. Ponies left and right stopped and stared at Rarity as they passed by. Twilight started to blush from all the attention that Rarity was drawing. They eventually made it to Fluttershy's house and knocked on the door, but nopony answered.

"I wonder where that pony has gotten off to now." said Rarity.

They wandered around the area, calling out for Fluttershy, but they couldn't find her. Suddenly, they heard another familiar voice coming from above them.

"Hey you two! Whatcha doing?" Rainbow Dash said, landing a few feet in front of them. "Wow Rarity, I think you may have outdone yourself this time. That dress looks great on you!"

"Thank you dear, but I didn't make this dress. Twilight did." Rarity said.

Rainbow Dash's jaw almost hit the ground. "_Really_? I didn't know you _could_ make dresses Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said after recovering from the shock.

"Rarity gave me a few lessons today and she walked me through making this dress step by step. I couldn't have done it without her help." Twilight said, the blush returning to her face.

"Rainbow dear, we were looking for Fluttershy, to answer your previous question. Do you know where she is?" asked Rarity.

"Oh! She went over to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was having a little critter problem and asked for her help. She was still there the last time I flew by." said Rainbow Dash.

"Thank you dear." said Rarity. "I guess I'll stop by the construction site on the way there. If Fluttershy leaves before we get to the farm, we'll likely see her pass through town."

Rainbow Dash took off and landed on the nearest cloud to take a nap. Twilight and Rarity headed back to town. It wasn't long before they arrived at the construction site. The remaining debris has been removed from the foundation and Barn Stormer was down in the hole checking it out.

"Hello down there." Rarity said, waving down into the hole. "Is now still a good time?"

"Hello Miss Rarity, Miss Sparkle." said Barn Stormer. "Actually, I think I'm going to have to ask that we postpone that talk until next week. It turns out that there is a lot of structural damage to the foundation." He pointed to cracked sections in several locations. "That must have been one huge hydra. We are going to need to remove the entire foundation and replace it before anything can get started. This should only set us back a few days."

"I see." Rarity said. "If you could, just send a message to the library when you have the time. We can set up an appointment then."

"That sounds like a good plan. I'll make sure to do that." Barn Stormer said, climbing out of the hole.

Fluttershy had not gone by, so Twilight and Rarity headed over to Sweet Apple Acres. It didn't take long to spot Fluttershy and Applejack. They were standing together, Applejack staring at the base of an apple tree and Fluttershy with her head down a hole under that tree, at the top of a small hill.

"_Hi Fluttershy_! _Hi Applejack_!" Twilight shouted as they made their way up the hill.

Applejack turned around to see who had called her name. Fluttershy jumped, hitting her head on the roof off the hole. She collapsed in a heap on the ground. Applejack turned around and dragged her poor friend out of the hole. Fluttershy shook her head to get the dirt out of her mane. Applejack turned back around to greet her friends.

"Well, hello to you too. What brings ya out this way? Applejack said.

"Hello Twilight. Hello Rarity." Fluttershy said, getting up to greet them.

"Rarity came to find Fluttershy." Twilight said.

"Oh?" said Fluttershy. "Why?"

Rarity walked in between Fluttershy and Applejack and turned in a complete circle to show off the new dress. "What do you think dear? Isn't this just lovely?" Rarity asked.

"You're tellin' me that you came all the way out here just to show Fluttershy a new dress you made?" Applejack said to Rarity. "She's sorta busy helping me with this mole issue."

"_I_ didn't make this dress." Rarity said to Applejack, a smirk on her face.

Fluttershy started to walk around Rarity, taking the entire dress in.

"So you bought it then? What would you do that fer?" said Applejack.

"I didn't buy it either." said Rarity, her smirk getting a little bigger.

"Well then, where'd ya get the thing?" asked Applejack.

Rarity pointed at Twilight. "_She_ made it for me." Rarity said, her smirk turning into a soft smile.

Fluttershy and Applejack both stared at Twilight, then the dress, then Rarity, then back to Twilight again.

"You made this Twilight?" Fluttershy said, confused. "When did you learn how to make dresses?

"Today, actually." said Twilight. "Rarity started giving me lessons this morning and she thought I had picked it up well enough, so she had me make that dress, with some guidance of course."

Fluttershy and Applejack both circled Rarity, looking the dress over thoroughly.

"It is a perty dress Rarity." said Applejack.

"Twilight, this dress is flawless… and absolutely stunning! How could you make something like this so soon after your first lesson?" asked Fluttershy.

"She's a natural." said Rarity, giving Twilight a little nuzzle. Twilight blushed again. "No one ever thought she was capable of something like this because she always had her nose in a book. It makes me wonder if there's anything she can't do."

Twilight was convinced at that point that her face had discovered a whole new shade of red. Between Fluttershy's compliment and Rarity nuzzling her, she was left speechless. And just as Twilight believed that the situation couldn't feel any more awkward, she felt something pop up between her front legs. Startled, she reared back, trying to get away from whatever had managed to sneak under her.

"Hi everypony!" Pinkie Pie said, effortlessly dodging Twilight's flailing front legs. "What's going on? Are you planning a party without me?"

"No you silly filly." said Applejack. "Fluttershy was helping me with a mole problem and Rarity came over to show off a dress that Twilight made for her."

Twilight, realizing she was in no more danger than usual from her random pink friend, walked back up the hill to join the rest of the group.

"Wait, Twilight made a dress? That doesn't make any sense. Rarity makes dresses, not Twilight!" Pinkie Pie said, looking at the dress, then Twilight.

"Well I assure you that Twilight did make this dress Pinkie Pie. I know because I was there." said Rarity.

"But, why would Twilight make you a dress?" Pinkie Pie asked.

That question caught Fluttershy's and Applejack's attention.

"Yeah Twi, why did you make a dress for Rarity? I never would have pegged you for being interested in that sorta thing." said Applejack.

Twilight started visibly sweating. She had to figure out a way to explain why she had wanted to take sewing lessons and make a dress for Rarity without giving away the fact that she was dating Rarity. Rarity had asked her not to tell anyone and she desperately wanted to keep that secret.

"I uh, just started reading a book about sewing, since Rarity had come to stay with me... you know, being a book worm and all. She saw me reading the book and offered to teach me herself, something about practical experience being worth more. I guess she just asked me to make her a dress for the experience." Twilight rattled off.

Much to her surprise, her friends appeared to accept that excuse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rarity mumbling to herself, but couldn't make out what it was she was saying. Rarity then blurted something out that nopony was expecting.

"_Twilight and I are dating! That's why she made the dress for me… because I asked her to!" _Rarity shouted.

Pinkie Pie tripped over absolutely nothing and landed upside down with her mouth open. Fluttershy and Applejack looked at each other, then at Twilight, then Rarity. They were both struck speechless. Twilight, being the only one that appeared capable of moving after hearing that, walked over to Rarity and nuzzled against her neck.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know yet." Twilight whispered into Rarity's ear.

"I didn't, but I couldn't help it. I could tell that they didn't completely believe your excuse and I don't want you to ever have to lie for me, or us." Rarity whispered back.

Twilight smiled. She stood next to Rarity, as close as she could without shoving Rarity over, and faced their friends. Neither of them knew what would happen now. Applejack finally managed to snap out of the spell those words had put her into and spoke first.

"Dating… as in a couple?" Applejack said, still trying to wrap her head around the situation.

"Yes Applejack." Twilight said.

"Since when?" Fluttershy managed to say.

"Yesterday morning. Twilight brought it up the night before, but I said yes to her the next morning." said Rarity.

"But, I thought you liked stallions Rarity. You know, with the whole prince fiasco during the Galloping Gala." Applejack said.

"I did, but I like Twilight, and the fact that she's a mare doesn't bother me." said Rarity, doing everything she could to emphasize that she was serious.

"I see." said Applejack.

"I hope you'll still be our friends. After all, we're still the same Twilight and Rarity that you've always known." said Twilight, feeling very uneasy with her friends' reactions so far.

"Oh no, of course!" Fluttershy said immediately. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset Twilight. I just, well… I didn't see this coming. That's all. You'll always be my friend Twilight Sparkle… and you too Rarity. I'm happy for you!"

Applejack realized just how scrutinizing she was being of her friends and backed off. "I'm sorry sugar. I didn't mean it like that. Like Fluttershy said, I just didn't see that coming. Of course I'll still be your friend." Applejack said, walking over and giving both Twilight and Rarity a hug.

Realizing that Pinkie Pie hadn't said anything yet, everypony's eyes turned to her. Pinkie Pie had managed to get back on her feet. She looked at Twilight and Rarity and asked one question.

"Can I throw a party to celebrate?" Pinkie Pie said, her face lighting up with a big smile.

Rarity and Twilight both let out a breath they hadn't realized they had been holding.

"Ok Pinkie Pie, but only for our close friends, not the whole town. We were not planning to tell anyone yet and I _know_ were not ready for the whole town to know." Rarity said. "Oh, wait! Rainbow Dash doesn't know yet!"

"I think we should tell her as soon as possible Rarity. I don't want her to think that we left her out on purpose." said Twilight.

With that, Pinkie Pie left with Twilight and Rarity to try to find Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy remained with Applejack to finish helping her fix her mole problem.

The three ponies went back to the center of town. When they couldn't see her anywhere in sight, they decided to get a higher view. They ran back to the library and up to the balcony. It took them a few minutes, but Pinkie Pie eventually spotted her on the horizon clearing up a few random storm clouds that had popped up on the outskirts of town near the Everfree Forest.

"Great job Pinkie Pie." said Twilight as they headed back downstairs.

"No problem Twilight. I'm going to go start planning your party! Thank you for sharing your secret with me! I'm very happy for you both!" Pinkie Pie said. She gave them both a big hug before bouncing her way back to the bakery.

Twilight and Rarity galloped through town trying to get to the edge of the forest before Rainbow Dash could finish working. Rainbow Dash saw the two coming in a hurry and descended to find out why.

"I didn't think I'd see you two out here again. Why are you in such a hurry?" Rainbow Dash asked, touching down.

Twilight and Rarity slowed to a stop, both having to wait to catch their breath before answering.

"We came… looking for you… Rainbow Dash." Twilight said between breaths.

"Is everything ok? The hydras aren't coming back are they?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking back towards town.

"No, no hydras. We just wanted… to make sure we caught you before you could finish your work. We both… need to talk to you." Rarity said.

"Oh, what about?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight looked over to Rarity and Rarity just gave her a little nod.

"Well, it's about Rarity and I." Twilight said. "We're dating. Our other friends found out when we were over at the farm and we didn't want you to think we were hiding it from you."

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight, then Rarity. She burst out laughing.

"Oh, this is a good one! Who put you up to this? Wait, it has to be Pinkie Pie. _Pinkie Pie, you can come out now._" Rainbow Dash said between giggles.

"Rainbow Dash, this isn't a joke. I'm serious!" Twilight said, surprised by the reaction.

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight and she slowly stopped laughing. "You're serious?" Rainbow Dash said, looking over to Rarity.

"Yes dear, she is." Rarity said.

Rainbow Dash still couldn't believe that it wasn't as joke. She had seen Pinkie Pie go through some elaborate plans to make a situation like this appear believable. She came up with an idea that she thought would bring the joke out in the open.

"Ok, prove it!" Rainbow Dash said with a smirk on her face.

"Oh, ok, well…" Twilight said, looking back at Rarity. She shrugged and walked up to Rarity. She gave Rarity a little smile, then making sure that Rainbow Dash was watching them, gave Rarity a long kiss.

At first Rainbow Dash was impressed at how far her friends were willing to go to make the joke seem real, but as Twilight and Rarity continued to kiss, it finally sunk in that it wasn't a joke. They really _were_ dating. Rainbow Dash just sat down, her head cocked to one side, as reality set in.

Twilight and Rarity, convinced that had been a long enough kiss to prove their point, broke away from each other and turned to face Rainbow Dash. They could see the confusion written all over her face.

"I'm sorry." Rainbow Dash finally said. "I just didn't believe it. I never would have thought that either of you would date a mare. I guess I just don't know you as well as I thought."

"Don't feel bad Rainbow Dash. None of the others saw it coming either. To be honest, I think we even surprised ourselves to a degree." Twilight said, smiling.

"How did the others react?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Surprised at first, but then they were just happy for us. Pinkie Pie is working on a small party for just the 6 of us." Twilight answered.

"What about you Rainbow Dash? Can you still be our friend knowing what you know now?" Rarity asked.

"_Can I_? I _am _the Element of Loyalty! Of course I am still going to be your friend! Now, come here!" Rainbow Dash said as she embraced Rarity in a hug. She turned and gave Twilight a hug next. "Congratulations you two!"

Rainbow Dash waived as Twilight and Rarity made their way back towards town, then went back to work breaking up the last few storm clouds. Twilight and Rarity went straight back to the library, walked up to Twilight's bed, and collapsed on it.

"Who would have thought that just telling your friends that you're dating could be so exhausting." Twilight said with her eyes half open.

"I know dear, but we still need to eat something. We missed lunch all together and it's going to be a late dinner if we don't get something started soon." said Rarity.

Twilight looked out the window near her bed and saw the moon coming up. "You're right Rarity, but something simple. I don't think either of us has the energy left to cook." Twilight said as she dragged herself off the bed. "How does an apple and honey sandwich sound?"

"Delicious." Rarity said as she followed Twilight's lead and got off the bed.

They finished dinner at a leisurely pace. Rarity talked Twilight into taking her shower first tonight since Rarity had received the honor the past couple nights. While Rarity was taking her shower, Twilight finished off the last of the sewing book. When Rarity came out, towel wrapped around her head as usual, Twilight looked up at her and smiled.

"You really are very pretty Rarity." Twilight said.

Rarity blushed and started to continue to her bed when she felt a leg in front of her. She looked down and noticed that Twilight had reached out to stop her. She looked over at Twilight and felt a gentle nudge from that leg urging her to come closer. She approached Twilight's bed and Twilight moved over, making room for Rarity to get in. Rarity worked her way onto the bed and Twilight pulled the covers up over both of them. She reached over and cuddled against Rarity's back.

"Good night Rarity." Twilight said, nuzzling Rarity's neck.

"Good night Twilight." Rarity said, settling in for what would be the best's night sleep she had ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Rarity was the first to wake up this morning, but she found herself unable to move. At some point during the night, she had rolled over and her belly was now against Twilight's, both mares tangled in each other's hooves. She was staring right at Twilight's sleeping face. She smiled gently. She didn't really _want_ to move if she could spend a little longer looking into her peaceful face.

A few moments passed before Twilight started to stir, finding herself in the same predicament Rarity was in. Rarity gave Twilight a brief kiss on the lips before the two slowly untangled themselves. Rarity rolled off the bed first and lazily headed to the bathroom. Twilight laid on the bed, looking out the window with a smile on her face. It was the first night that Rarity had shared a bed with her, and it had been wonderful! Rarity was so warm and smelled so nice that Twilight hadn't wanted to let her go at first. Twilight finally urged herself into getting out of bed and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Rarity, can I come in?" she asked after knocking on the door.

"Oh, um… sure. Come in." Rarity replied.

Twilight opened the door and found Rarity in the middle of combing out her tail. She had already finished her mane.

"May I?" she asked, gesturing to the comb that Rarity was using.

"Hmm?" Rarity gave her a questioning look, not sure why Twilight wanted her comb when there was another one sitting on the counter.

Twilight used her magic to try to take control of the comb, which surprised Rarity at first, but she released her control over it. Twilight then proceeded to brush Rarity's tail for her. At first Rarity didn't know what to make of the situation, but after seeing the content smile on Twilight's face, she relaxed. Once Rarity's tail had all the tangles brushed out, Rarity took control of the comb again. Gesturing for Twilight to turn around, she waited for Twilight to release her hold of the comb and then proceeded to brush Twilight's tail. Because Twilight did not style her tail much, it didn't take as long for Rarity to brush it out. Satisfied with her work on Twilight's tail, she cautiously brought the comb up to her mane.

"May I?" she asked.

Twilight thought about it for a brief moment before saying, "Ok Rarity, I trust you."

Surprised that Twilight accepted her request with so little hesitation, Rarity decided to simply style it in Twilight's usual fashion. She would save something more extravagant for another time.

"So Rarity, what's on your agenda for today?" Twilight asked.

"I'm not really sure. I haven't given it much thought. I guess I could work a little bit, or maybe see how our friends are doing." Rarity replied, continuing to ponder the question before Twilight broke her train of thought.

"I would like to see our friends today too, but there is something I'd like to do with just you first." Twilight winked at her, then giggled.

"Are you suggesting, I mean, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Rarity stammered, apparently caught off guard.

"Oh, no, no, no! I'm not quite ready for that!" Twilight exclaimed. "I was thinking of something else all together… not that I don't want to… when we're both ready. I sorry. I didn't mean to give you the wrong idea." She ducked her head down a little, gazing up at Rarity embarrassed.

"Oh sweetie, don't apologize!" Rarity quickly gave her a hug. "It's not like I haven't thought about it too, but you're right. I'm not quite ready to take that step either. But if that wasn't what you were thinking about, what _did_ you have in mind?" She asked with a strong hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Well, it has to do with your gem finding spell." Twilight replied as she turned to face Rarity. She sat down before continuing, fidgeting with her front legs. "I wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in maybe refining it a little."

"I'm not sure what you mean." Rarity's curiosity was fully peaked at this point.

Twilight stopped fidgeting and tried to clarify what she had in mind. "Well, when you look for gems, you have no problem finding them in bunches… but have you ever tried to just locate a specific gem type? I was just thinking that if you were trying to find a rare gem, say a red diamond for example, you wouldn't have to spend all day digging just to find one."

"I hadn't really thought about that… and there have been times I have wasted an entire day looking for just the right gem. I'm not sure I have the focus that you do though." Rarity sighed, knowing first hand how strong Twilight's magic, and her dedication to it, were.

"I think you can do it." Twilight gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her. "I've seen how focused you can become when you're working on a new piece."

"Well, if Twilight Sparkle thinks I can do it, than who am I to argue?" Rarity smiled and returned the hug.

"Ok, let's finish up in here and I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready." Twilight broke their embrace and beamed a huge smile at her.

Rarity finished combing Twilight's mane and they proceeded to finish off their respective morning routines. Of course, this meant that Twilight was finished _long_ before Rarity. She went downstairs and got a pot of coffee started. She thought about Spike and how much she missed having him around to help her get going in the morning and to keep the library clean. 'He'll be home in a few days.' she thought. "Oh no!" she said loud enough for Rarity to hear her.

"Is everything ok?" Rarity asked, peaking around the corner.

"No. This is bad. This is _really_ bad!" Twilight had a very distraught look on her face. Rarity rushed down the stairs to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Spike will be coming back in a few days!" Twilight replied, louder than she had meant.

Rarity winced a little before continuing. "What's so bad about… oh!" She now knew exactly what Twilight was thinking. "What do we do?"

"I don't know! I don't want to break his heart, but he deserves to know." She sat down to think. Rarity sat down next to her, both lost in thought. They were both startled by the knock at the door, ending up leaning against each other. Twilight got up to answer the door.

"Derpy! How are you?" She had not been expecting mail this early.

Derpy was speechless and obviously nervous, but Twilight wasn't able to tell why immediately. She used her magic to collect the letters that Derpy was holding.

"Hello my faithful student!" Princess Celestia dropped down from above the doorway. Twilight jumped, losing control of the letters, sending them flying in every direction. Derpy bolted, thankful for the distraction.

"_Princess!"_ Twilight dropped into a bow. She waited for the princess to land before standing up. She slowly walked forward to give her a hug. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so quickly. Please, come in! Is everything ok?" She released her embrace.

Rarity had heard Twilight's surprised reaction to Celestia's arrival and immediately went to the door to greet her. "It's so nice to see you again, Princess Celestia."

"Hello Rarity. I simply wanted to see how you both were doing." Celestia stated as she walked in the door.

Twilight and Rarity both blushed deeply, which intrigued the princess, but she decided not to press the matter… not yet at least.

"Luna wanted to come along as well, but there is simply too much going on back in Canterlot for both of us to slip away." she said as she took a seat on the sofa.

Twilight collected the dropped mail and closed the door. She looked at Rarity. They both muffled a chuckle as they both noticed each others blush. There was a quiet beep from the kitchen. "Oh, the coffee is done. Princess, would you like a cup?" Twilight asked as she headed for the kitchen.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Celestia focused her attention on Rarity. "Did something happen since my last visit?"

Rarity's face turned beet red and she could only bring herself to nod. Twilight froze in place and hesitantly turned to face Celestia.

"Well, what is it? It's obviously got you two embarrassed." She was fighting back a laugh and was sitting on the edge of the sofa in anticipation.

"Rarity, can I tell her?" Twilight didn't like trying to keep a secret from the princess.

Rarity looked at Twilight and with a resigned look on her face, nodded. "She's going to find out eventually. It's better that she hears it from us."

Twilight turned to address the princess. "I was planning to write you a letter about it, but only after talking it over first with Rarity. We've started dating..."

"Well that _is_ pleasant news. Who are the lucky colts?" Celestia asked, fully engrossed in the conversation now.

"Not colts…" Rarity added.

"Oh, mares? Both of you! I have to say I didn't see that coming." Celestia eyes had widened, along with the grin on her face. "So who are the lucky mares then?"

Twilight and Rarity pointed at each other. Celestia jaw almost hit the floor, but she was giddy at the same time. "_Seriously?_"

Twilight walked over to Rarity and gave her a gentle nuzzle to her neck, which helped them both relax a little.

Celestia regained her composure, but simply stared at the two of them for a few moments. The huge smile on her face made it obvious that the new couple being mares didn't bother her, which both surprised Twilight and relieved Rarity. Twilight gave Rarity a small kiss on her cheek before heading back to the kitchen to get the coffee. She brought out a tray with 3 cups, a small container of cream, and a cup of sugar cubes. She poured a cup for Celestia first, then Rarity. Rarity added a little cream and one sugar cube. Celestia, much to their surprise, added nothing. Twilight had just finished pouring her own cup when Celestia spoke up again.

"I'm happy for you, both of you. I'm guessing the rest of your friends already know?" she asked.

Twilight nodded as she added a sugar cube to her coffee. "We told them yesterday."

"Did it go ok?" Celestia asked with a little concern.

"As far as we could tell, yes. They were shocked, maybe a little more than you were, but they weren't put off by it. Twilight and I are lucky to have such great, understanding friends. We know not everyone is going to be that way." Rarity replied.

"Princess, we do have a problem though. Maybe you can help us sort it out?" Twilight scooted closer to Rarity and held one of her front legs.

"Certainly. Ask away." Celestia loved that Twilight valued her opinion so much.

"It's about Spike. He has a crush on Rarity. How are going to tell him about us? He'll be devastated and he'll hate me." A tear rolled down Twilight's cheek as she let those last words slip out. "I don't want to hurt him, neither of us do." Rarity nodded.

Celestia was quiet for quite a while as she pondered the situation. Rarity tried her best to keep Twilight calm, knowing just how torn up she felt. Spike had been with her for such a long time and they depended on each other. Now it looked like Rarity was going to create a rift between them. She hoped that the princess would be able to come up with a solution.

Celestia finally spoke up, but not with her usual cheerfulness. "I'm sorry, Twilight, but I don't think there is anyway that you or Rarity can tell him that will not break his heart. My suggestion is going to be to write a letter to him now, explaining to him what has happened and that you did not do this to hurt him intentionally. I will take the letter to him myself and will be there to comfort and guide him. It will be better that he's not here when he finds out, because he is likely going to say things that he would regret later if you were both around to hear. He is going to be mad. There's just no way around that. He's going to need time to collect his thoughts and heal. When he's ready, I will ask for you both to come to Canterlot so you can talk things out in person. In the meantime, I am going to cancel the remaining classes we had planned."

"_Oh Spike!_" Twilight burst into tears. "_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_" Rarity was doing everything she could to console her, but found herself crying as well. Celestia leaned over and held them both, tears running down her face, pained to see Twilight hurting so much. They remained that way until they all stopped crying.

Twilight's horn lit up as she gathered her writing materials. She had to fight back tears several times as she wrote.

_Dear Spike,_

_ I hope you have enjoyed your time in Canterlot so far. Princess Celestia has thanked me several times for letting you help._

_ Something has happened recently that you need to be made aware of. After Rarity moved in with me, I started to develop feelings for her beyond friendship. I told Rarity about my feelings and she has accepted them. We have started dating. Please believe me when I say that I was not trying to hurt you, even though I know I have. Rarity is upset as well, as she never wanted to break your heart. I hope in time you'll be able to forgive us both, but we will understand if you can't._

_ Princess Celestia has offered to be there for you while you sort out your feelings. She has been there to comfort me in my times of need, and I hope that you'll allow her to be there for you as well, as I know I will be the last pony you'll want to see for a while._

_ I'm sorry Spike! I'm so, so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you like this._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Twilight Sparkle_

Tears were running down her eyes again as she read over the letter. Rarity gathered her close and held her tight. She levitated the letter over to Celestia who read it over as well. She looked over to Twilight and Rarity, and with a small nod rolled up the letter. She teleported back to Canterlot, letter in tow.

It took a while for Twilight to stop crying. Rarity suggested that maybe it would be better to go see one of their friends now and save the magic lesson for another day. At first, Twilight didn't want to leave the library, but after some gentle coaxing, she gave in. They finished off their coffee and each grabbed an apple from the kitchen. Rarity knew that Twilight needed to be cheered up, but could not think of a way to do it herself. Pinkie Pie would be _way_ too much for her right now, even though the pink pony's intentions were good. Rainbow Dash was never known for dealing with her own emotions well, never mind somepony else. That left Applejack and Fluttershy. She decided Fluttershy was her best bet. Applejack was nice, but could be a little too blunt sometimes.

Twilight really wasn't paying any attention to where Rarity was leading her. Her head was such a mess that Rarity could have walked off a cliff and she would have blindly followed her over. It wasn't until they started walking over a little bridge crossing a small stream that she recognized where she was.

Fluttershy had already finished her morning chores and was sitting in the house reading a small book. When she heard hoof steps on the bridge, she looked out the window. Quickly recognizing Twilight and Rarity, she put her book down and went to the door to greet them.

"Hi…" was all she managed to get out before seeing how puffy their eyes were. It was obvious that had both been crying for a while. "Oh my, what happened? Are you both ok?" she asked as they finally reached the front door.

"Mind if we come in Fluttershy? Twilight is having a _really_ bad morning." Rarity asked.

"Of course, come in. Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go make some tea." Fluttershy quickly made her way back to her kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove.

Rarity walked with Twilight over to the sofa and helped her get comfortable, lying down on her side facing the window. She gave her a small kiss on the forehead, then turned and walked over to the kitchen.

"I'd… better explain what's happened." Rarity said quietly as she entered the kitchen, closing the door behind her. She described everything that happened after Princess Celestia's arrival. Fluttershy's face slowly sank as the gravity of the situation hit her.

"Poor Spike. Poor Twilight. I hope this works itself out." Fluttershy peeked out the kitchen door to see how Twilight was doing. She had rolled over, her muzzle buried into the back corner of the sofa. "Are you sure she should be out right now?"

"Honestly, no, I'm not. But I'm also at a complete loss of what to do for her. I've seen her upset before, but never this upset… and I feel guilty for this happening in the first place. She needs support right now. I'm just not sure that I'm the one she should be getting it from." A tear rolled down Rarity's cheek.

"Oh Rarity, it's not your fault. As wonderful as love can be, it can hurt just as much. She needs you right now, more than anypony else. I appreciate that you value me as a friend so much as to bring her here. I'll be more than happy to listen to both of you, but you need to be out there with her right now. Now go on." Fluttershy nudged her back towards the sofa. "I'll be there as soon as the tea is ready."

Rarity made her way over to the sofa and sat next to Twilight, gently caressing her back. She leaned over and placed her muzzle on her flank. "You ok?"

Twilight unburied her nose from the sofa and looked back. She could see the concern in Rarity's eyes. "I'm not ok, but I feel better knowing I have you to hold me. Thank you for bring me here. I think talking to Fluttershy might be just what I need now as well."

She eased her way up. After Rarity adjusted to her moving, she flopped over and put her head against Rarity's flank, gazing out the window. Rarity gently ran a hoof through Twilight's mane.

It didn't take long for the water to reach a boil. Fluttershy had quickly gathered the rest of her tea set and placed the teapot in the middle. She carried it out to the coffee table and started to serve her guests as she spoke. "I know you must be very sad right now Twilight, but please don't give up hope. There's still a chance that he'll forgive you and I think you did the right thing accepting Princess Celestia's offer to help."

"Thank you Fluttershy, but I don't think I want to talk about it anymore… or at least not right now." Twilight let out a deep sigh. "How has your morning been?" She slowly eased her way up to a seated position again, but let herself lean against Rarity.

"Just the usual routine, nothing out of the ordinary. Applejack asked me to come by again tonight. She wants to thank me for helping with her critter issues I think. I just hope she doesn't overdo it. It really wasn't any trouble. I like visiting her farm every now and then." A small smile crossed Fluttershy's lips. "Other than the unfortunate incident this morning, how are you both doing?"

Rarity looked over to Twilight and gave her a warm smile. "I think we're doing ok. It helps that we have such wonderful friends to support us." Rarity turned her smile to Fluttershy, who immediately blushed.

"I think I can get through anything as long as I have Rarity by my side and my friends to support me." Twilight gave Rarity a little kiss on the neck, causing Fluttershy to blush a little more.

"I think we might want to tame the lovely dovey stuff a little dear. It looks like Fluttershy is about to overheat." Rarity said with a little chuckle, pointing to Fluttershy. Fluttershy hid behind her mane as Twilight noticed how red her face had become.

"Um, actually, if you don't mind me asking… what is it like? Dating a mare I mean. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I guess, well, I'm just curious." She barely managed to get the last part out loud enough to be understood.

"Let me think." Rarity looked over at Twilight. "Her lips are much softer, and she has a much gentler touch compared to any stallion I've been with. We both seem to get more out of cuddling. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to say. We haven't been intimate with each other, not that I would share details of that sort anyway. I feel we click better emotionally as well. I don't know, what do you think Twilight?"

"I don't really have any previous relationships to base a comparison on. I'm surprised that you think my touch is gentle. Are my lips really softer?" Twilight was surprised by that comment. She shifted her attention back to Fluttershy. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"I'm not sure. I find what you've said interesting." Fluttershy sat lost in thought for a few moments. "I guess I would have to try it for myself to understand."

"Wait, really?" Twilight and Rarity said in unison. They turned to look at each other and giggled. Rarity continued. "I didn't know you thought about mares that way."

"I didn't until now. I guess you two getting together got me thinking about it. I mean, I like stallions; they are nice to look at, but I think I like the idea of a softer, gentle touch too." Fluttershy not only managed to say that loud enough to be heard, but also successfully held eye contact while doing it. Twilight was very impressed.

"Fluttershy, your conversation skills have gotten so much better, especially with this as a topic. If we had brought this up even a few months ago, I don't think you would have been able to stay in the room." Twilight beamed a big smile at her.

"I've been trying to be more assertive. I guess it's working a little." She returned Twilight's smile.

"So, do you have someone in mind?" Rarity put out there bluntly.

"Oh, no… I mean yes… well, maybe. I don't know if she would be willing to try." A deep blush had returned to her cheeks.

"I didn't know if Rarity would be willing to try. Look how that turned out!" Twilight smiled.

"That's right. You'll never know if you don't ask." Rarity added. "So who is it?"

"Umm, Applejack."

"I'm sorry. I don't think either of us caught that. Who?" Rarity and Twilight leaned forward, which made Fluttershy even more nervous.

"Applejack."

"Who?"

"_Applejack!__" _Fluttershy blurted out.

"Oh!" Rarity almost fell off the couch.

"Oh my!" Twilight fell against the back of the couch. "That is a good question. I don't know if she'd consider it or not."

"Guess there's only one way to find out." Rarity said as she got of the couch and headed towards the front door.

"Rarity! Wait!" Fluttershy bolted in front of the door. "I'm not sure I want to ask her yet."

"She's right Rarity. As much as we both want to help her, this is something she has to do herself, when _she's_ ready." Twilight got up to join Rarity, but turned her conversation to Fluttershy. "You know you can talk to either of us about this right?

"Yes, but I thought I was supposed to be helping you?" Fluttershy had a confused look on her face.

"You have, just by being there for me… for us. Now we can return the favor… when you're ready of course." Twilight walked up and gave her a hug. Rarity joined in from the other side. All Fluttershy could do was smile.

They said their goodbyes and Rarity and Twilight headed back towards town. Fluttershy spent the next several hours sitting under a tree in her front yard. She was thinking about what she had just talked about and what she wanted to do when she saw Applejack later.

It was already late afternoon by the time they got back into town. They opted to have lunch out, not wanting to resurface any memories by walking into Twilight's kitchen. After picking up a few sandwiches and drinks, they found an unoccupied bench in the park. They passed the time talking about Fluttershy's sudden revelation and attempting to guess what Applejack would say if Fluttershy ever managed to get the courage up to ask her. The skies started to darken towards the end of their meal.

"Was it supposed to rain today?" Rarity started watching the clouds, seeing Pegasus ponies pushing the clouds together.

"I guess so. It doesn't look like they're trying to break the storm up." Twilight was watching the clouds gather when she noticed a familiar rainbow streak in the sky.

"_Rainbow Dash!_" She yelled, hoping her friend heard her.

Rainbow Dash stopped and looked down. Spotting Twilight waving at her, she quickly descended. "What's up?"

"Is this a scheduled storm?" Twilight asked looking back at the gathering clouds.

"Yup. Did you not read the weather schedule for the week? We're supposed to have light rain for the next two days, starting tonight." Rainbow Dash looked up at the cloud as well. "What are they doing? That cloud is already big enough." She turned her attention back to Twilight and Rarity. "Wish I could stay and chat some more, but _somepony_ needs to keep these other ponies in check!" She bolted straight up to the now massive cloud, yelling at the pegasi who were still making the dark cloud larger.

"I guess we'd better get back to the library before this storm picks up." Rarity looked over to Twilight who eagerly agreed.

They wrapped up what was left of their lunch and headed back for the library. After getting in the door, Rarity offered to put Twilight's lunch away for her so she wouldn't have to step into the kitchen. While Rarity was taking care of their meals, Twilight grabbed the small pile of letters and started to filter through them.

"Hmm, junk, junk. Well, Rarity might like this magazine. Hang on, what's this?" She placed the rest of the mail on a table next to the door and focused her attention on a letter from Canterlot. There was no royal seal on it, so she knew it wasn't likely going to be from either of the princesses. She opened it and began reading.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

We heard about the mess the hydras caused in Ponyville. We are surprised that you didn't write to tell us that you were ok. Your mother was worried sick. Princess Celestia was kind enough to stop by the next day and tell us that you were safe, but very busy helping a friend that had not been so fortunate, so I guess we understand why you didn't write. We just wanted to let you know that we've been thinking about you and we love you dearly. We are planning to come down to Ponyville this weekend to spend some time with you, if that's ok. We are already planning to stay at the local hotel, so don't worry about that. We know your library has got to be cramped with two ponies living there now. If coming this weekend is going to cause a problem, please let us know as soon as possible. Otherwise, we'll see you in two days.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Twilight dropped on her rump, dumbfounded. Rarity heard the thud and came to check on her.

"Twilight dear, you ok?" She asked as she walked around to see the expression on Twilight's face.

"My parents are coming." Twilight looked over to Rarity, then handed her the letter.

Rarity read the letter. She looked up at Twilight. "Oh Celestia! I haven't written anything to my parents either!" She bolted over to the desk to quickly compose a letter to her parents to let them know what happened and that she and Sweetie Belle were ok. "Twilight, I'll be right back. I need to get this sent out _now_!" Rarity bolted out the door.

Twilight got up and walked over to the couch. She plopped down and patiently waited for Rarity to return. A few minutes later, Rarity walked back in.

"Rarity?" Twilight patted the spot next to her.

"Yes dear?" Rarity asked as she sat down to cuddle.

"Are you ready to meet my parents?" Twilight was obviously nervous.

"Well, it's a little sooner than I was thought it would be, but sure." Rarity ran a hoof through Twilight mane, trying to get her to relax.

"I'm just not sure how they're going to react to us dating. It's something I've never talked to them about before, so I don't know what they'll think. Things could possibly get bad." She leaned against Rarity, trying to remain calm.

"I'm not going to hide from them, Twilight. I'm going to stand with you, no matter what. You know that, right?" Rarity was trying to sound as reassuring as possible, but she knew what Twilight meant by bad. She wasn't sure how her parents would react either.

"Thank you, Rarity." She leaned up to kiss Rarity under her chin. "Oh, there was a magazine in the mail you might like." She levitated the magazine off the table and brought it over to Rarity.

"Filly Vogue? I don't think I've ever looked at this one before. This doesn't seem like something you'd normally read either." Rarity gave her a puzzled look.

"Don't look at me, I didn't order it. These sometimes get sent to the library to be added to the collection. See, it's addressed to the library, not me." Twilight pointed to the label on the cover.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Rarity put the magazine down on the end table. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Do you mind if I take a nap?" She started to lie down, trying to use Twilight's lap as a pillow.

"That actually sounds like a wonderful idea, but why don't we use the bed instead. It's a little more comfortable." Twilight got up and headed for the stairs.

"You're just trying to get me into bed with you aren't you?" Rarity said playfully before following her.

"Can't get anything past you can I?" Twilight jokingly said back.

They both climbed into bed, cuddling together. They both fell asleep quickly, neither realizing just how tired they were. They would not wake up until the next morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rarity was rudely woken up by a tapping on her chest, followed by what sounded like mumbling. She cracked her eyes open, finding Twilight's hoof thumping against her chest. As her eyes became more focused, she saw that Twilight was sweating and mumbling. She placed a hoof on Twilight's leg to try to make it stop twitching. Suddenly, Twilight thrust her leg out, hitting Rarity in the stomach. Winded, Rarity fell off the side of the bed. It took a few minutes for her to catch her breath, during which Twilight's movements became even more agitated.

"Twilight… darling… wake… up." Rarity was still wheezing as she climbed back onto the bed.

Twilight's mumbling was beginning to be understandable as her thrashing became worse. "No, mmmrrrr, don't leave."

"_Twilight, wake up!_" Rarity was leaning over her, dodging flailing limbs, trying to shake her awake.

"_Spike!_" Twilight's eyes flew open, tears streaking down her face. "Don't go, please!"

"Shhh, it's okay, it was just a bad dream." Rarity wrapped Twilight up, and rocked her gently. "It's okay."

"Rarity?" Twilight looked at her sheepishly. "I'm so sorry. I woke you up, didn't I?"

"It's fine, dear. That seemed to be a really nasty nightmare. Do you remember what it was about?" She settled back down on her pillow, looking into Twilight's eyes.

"Just bits and pieces. Celestia called us to Canterlot to talk to Spike. He yelled at me, and said he never wanted to see us again. The last thing I remember was running after the carriage that was taking him away." Twilight rubbed her face into her pillow, trying to dry her tears.

Rarity hated seeing Twilight so emotionally torn up. She started crying. "That's it! I can't just stand by and watch you two get ripped apart because of me!" She got out of bed and headed down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Twilight jumped off the bed to follow her.

"Canterlot!" Rarity said as she opened the front door. "I'm going to talk to Spike, and straighten this out now, before this gets any worse!"

"Rarity, it's still dark out… and it's raining! How are you planning to get there?" Twilight asked as she followed her out the door, glancing at the clock on the way out. The sun would not be rising for another few hours. She closed the door behind her and turned to catch up.

"I'm going to walk! If I leave now, I should be able to get there by midday. Don't even think of trying to talk me out of this!" Rarity picked up her pace.

"I'm not letting you walk there alone, in the rain! I'm coming with you!" Twilight finally caught up, casting a quick spell to keep them both dry. She gave Rarity a stern look.

"If Spike sees you before I get the chance to talk to him, all hell will break loose. I need to go alone!" Rarity started trotting.

Twilight immediately matched her pace. "No! If you want to talk to Spike alone, then I'll stay in the city when we get there. I'll send a letter to Princess Celestia so she knows we're coming, and why. As long as she isn't too busy, she'll probably help you find him."

Rarity stopped and faced Twilight. "You're determined to come with me, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am! Now just wait here for a few minutes. I'll run back to the library and write the letter. It's going to take me a few minutes to cast the spell to send it since I don't have Spike to do it for me. I'll come right back here when I'm done. Please, just wait for me."

Twilight nudged her under a nearby overhang so she would stay dry when she dropped her barrier spell. Satisfied that Rarity would wait for her, she immediately bolted back to the library. The moment she arrived, she gathered her writing tools and jotted down a quick letter.

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_ I'm sorry to give you such short notice, but Rarity and I are on our way to Canterlot now. Rarity is determined to talk to Spike and straighten the situation out. I know that you'll likely be busy by the time we arrive, but if you can find the time to help Rarity find Spike, I would greatly appreciate it. We are walking, and it's raining, so we will likely not arrive until mid day at the earliest._

_ Your faithful student,_

_ Twilight Sparkle_

She hastily put the letter into an envelope and sealed it. She then concentrated on sending the letter directly to Princess Celestia. It took her a few minutes to cast the spell, but it appeared to work. Slightly tired from using so much magic to send the letter, she walked as quickly as she could back to Rarity. She locked the door behind her this time since she wasn't sure how long they would be gone.

When Twilight made it back to where she left Rarity, she was lightly panting. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I have the energy to put the barrier back up right now. Do you know the spell?"

"No, I don't, but under the circumstances, I couldn't care less if I get wet. We need to get going." Rarity got back on the trail to Canterlot, moving at a pace that Twilight could keep up with until she had time to catch her breath.

It took a few minutes, but Twilight finally managed to get her strength back. She recast her spell to shield them from the rain, though they were already quite drenched. They both hoped they would manage to dry out before they got to their destination.

Princess Celestia had just finished her dinner, and was on her way to deliver the letter Twilight had written to Spike. She had wanted to do it sooner, but Spike was in the middle of teaching a class, and she had gotten tied up with her usual work. She had set Spike up with a room only a few doors down from her own, so it didn't take her long to reach. She knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"I'll be right there." Spike said through the door. It opened a moment later. "Oh! Hello Princess Celestia. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not tonight Spike. I've come because I have something to give you. May I come in?" Celestia asked.

"Of course, princess." Spike stepped out of the way. He waited until she was well into the room before closing the door.

Celestia motioned for him to hop up onto the bed. He quickly complied. Celestia summoned the letter and levitated it over to Spike.

"It's from Twilight! I didn't think she would write. I'll be going home in a few days." He sat down on the bed to read the letter.

Celestia went back to the door. "I've got one small thing I need to take care of, but I'll come back afterwards." She closed the door as she left.

As he read further down the letter, the expression on his face changed quickly. By the time he finished, his expression was one of shock and disbelief. He rapidly shook his head, and then read through the letter a second time. When he finished, he dropped the letter, which missed the bed and landed on the floor. His stomach turned as anger welled up inside him. He remained motionless for a few moments, before he snapped.

Celestia just needed to get through the guard review as quickly as she could. She was only about halfway through the inspection when one of the castle staff interrupted.

"There has been a disturbance in one of your guest quarters." The staff member, a white mare with a creme colored mane and a blueberry colored tail, whispered. "The guards have been called."

"Spike's room?" She was hoping it wouldn't be. The mare nodded.

"Captain!" Celestia waited for the guard's response.

"Yes, your highness?" The captain quickly closed the gap between them, stopping a few feet in front of her.

"We will have to finish this later. A urgent matter has just been brought to my attention."

"Understood, your highness." The captain gave her a quick salute, then turned to issue orders.

Celestia immediately left and got to Spike's room as quickly as she could, teleporting straight to his door. She arrived at the same time two guards were rounding the corner in that hall. She stopped them. "Thank you for your quick response, but please wait outside. I will try to handle this myself." She turned and knocked on the door, but got no answer. Concerned, she let herself in. "Spike?" The guards took up posts on either side of the open door.

The room looked like a war zone. The bed was on its side. The mattress was scratched, lying upside down several feet to the left. Books were strewn everywhere, with pages missing. Some of the books even had the bindings gone completely. All of the lights were out, save for one candle that was leaning to the side. It was just enough light for Celestia to spot Spike. He was kneeling, facing a corner. His head was resting against the wall. She walked in and closed the door.

The sound of the door closing caused Spike to realize he wasn't alone anymore. He looked up at her face, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I don't understand. Why didn't… she ever say anything to me before… about liking Rarity? I can't believe… she did this… knowing how I feel! Did I do something… to make her angry?" He asked between sobs, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"No, Spike, you didn't do anything wrong." A quick burst of magic from her horn turned the bed back over and placed the mattress on top. She climbed onto the bed, guesturing for Spike to come join her. She continued to speak as he made his way over. "I don't think she said anything before because she wasn't aware of her feelings then, or didn't know how to bring it up with you. Twilight's never been in love before, other than with her books." Celestia couldn't help but chuckle a little, as badly timed as it was. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you," After Spike settled down next to her, she gave him a hug.

"Why Rarity? Of all the ponies she spends time with, why couldn't she have fallen for somepony else?" Anger was returning to his voice.

"That isn't how love works. You've spent a lot of time with Twilight and her other friends. Why did _you_ fall in love with Rarity?" Celestia asked.

"Rarity's pretty and sophisticated. She was always nice to me. She even gave me a gem once as a gift!" The hint of anger in his voice disappeared as he continued talking about Rarity, and his tears slowed down. "She smells really nice and I like just being around her."

"Maybe you can see why Twilight would find her attractive then?" She asked.

"I guess… but Rarity is a mare! Why isn't Twilight looking for a stallion like every other mare?" Spike was genuinely confused by that fact.

"Not all ponies find ponies of the opposite sex attractive. That probably goes for dragons as well. It's not unheard of for two mares to fall in love, or two stallions for that matter. Their love for each other is just as real as any other couple would be." She tried to think of an example he could relate to. "For example, how about Lyra and Bon Bon?

"Eww, really? I thought they were just… close." Spike stopped crying, only to start gagging instead.

"No, those two have been a couple for quite some time now." She stifled a giggle at Spike's reaction.

"And you're saying that Twilight and Rarity are just like them? Wait, Rarity was interested in Prince Blueblood before! This doesn't make any sense! Maybe Twilight put her under a spell?" Spike was more confused now then when they had first started talking.

"I wouldn't say that they are just like Lyra and Bon Bon. I can see your point. I didn't see Rarity dating a mare either; that _was_ a surprise. We both know Twilight very well though. You know she has never used her magic to control somepony else's emotions. It's illegal, and I taught her better than that!" Celestia gave him a cross look.

"I'm sorry. You're right. She wouldn't do that, and I apologize for even thinking she would. That still doesn't explain why Rarity agreed to go out with her," Spike countered.

"That is a question you'll have to ask Rarity. The only answer I can give you is that she cares about Twilight enough to want to be romantically involved with her. I was there when Twilight wrote that letter. She was in tears, both before and after writing it. Rarity was holding her tightly, trying desperately to comfort her." Celestia got up and looked out the window. "I know you have questions that neither I, nor that letter can answer. When you've had time to come to terms with what you've just learned, you should consider talking to them. I know it sounds like I'm asking the impossible, but the longer you wait, the harder it's going to be."

She started to make her way towards the door, when suddenly, a poof of smoke materialized next to her, causing her to jump. An envelope drifted out of the smoke and fell to the floor. Once she recovered from being startled, she lifted the envelope and opened it. It was a brief, hastily written letter. She read it and then looked at Spike.

"It looks like you're going to get your opportunity to talk to Rarity. She's on her way here right now, with the sole objective of talking to you. She's walking from Ponyville in the rain as we speak. Twilight is coming with her." Celestia placed the letter back into the envelope and sent it to a table in her room. "As difficult as it may be right now, I suggest you get some sleep. Hopefully, you'll find the answers you need in the morning, assuming you're willing to talk to her." Celestia opened the door to leave.

"Princess, wait!" Spike jumped off the bed and walked over to the door. "Thank you for spending this time with me. I know you didn't have to. I appreciate it. I'm sorry for the mess. I'll start cleaning it up now."

"I'm sure my staff would appreciate that. I just hope you three manage to work this out. You and Twilight have been together for such a long time. I'd hate to see that come to an end." She gave him a little nuzzle on the cheek before leaving. She addressed the guards on the way out. "You can go now. Everything is under control." They saluted and left.

He spent the next couple hours cleaning up the mess he made, thinking over everything he had talked about with the princess. When he had finished cleaning what he could, he went back to where the letter had fallen and picked it up. He climbed back onto the bed, reading the letter over a few more times. Celestia was right. The answer to the one question he still had could not be found in that letter. 'Why did Rarity agree to date Twilight?' he thought as he settled in for the night, eventually falling asleep.

It was early afternoon by the time the two sleep deprived ponies arrived in Canterlot. The rain had stopped about halfway through their trip. Despite Twilight's best efforts to keep them dry when they were under the storm, their non stop walk had still made them rather sweaty. Both of them had mud caked to their legs. Rarity was obviously distraught with her current appearance, despite her best attempts to hide it. Twilight nudged her to the side of the street to talk to her in private.

"Sweetie, I know you have to be tired. Are you sure you don't want to take a break before you head to the castle?" Twilight's concern showed blatantly on her face.

"No, no. I am _not_ about to stop now. I can deal with my… appearance, after I talk to Spike." Rarity gave Twilight a gentle nudge back towards the street, and started to make her way towards the castle.

"All right, Rarity. If you insist, then I will leave you here for now." Twilight stopped. "My parents live a few blocks from here. I might as well go there to wait. Let me give you the address so you'll know where to find me." She was about to write the address down when she realized that she had nothing to write it on, or with. "Um, on second thought, come with me first. I'll introduce you to my parents, if they're home. You can wash up real quick and head to the castle from there."

Twilight didn't give Rarity a chance to argue. She started walking towards her parent's place, giving Rarity little choice but to follow her. It only took them a few minutes to get there. Twilight reached up to knock on the door, but hesitated.

"What's wrong dear?" Rarity wasn't sure why she hadn't just knocked.

"I'm… well, I'm not sure. They're expecting to see me tomorrow. I don't know what they're going to think about me just showing up with no notice, looking like this." She looked down at the ground, pawing at it gently with the hoof she had raised to knock on the door.

"Twilight, you're their only daughter, and from what you've told me of them, they love you dearly. I'm sure they may be concerned at first, but I doubt they'll be upset." Rarity walked up next to Twilight and gave her a gentle nuzzle to her neck. "Now, go on."

Mrs. Sparkle just happened to be walking near the front door when she heard a very familiar voice on the other side. Just as Twilight was reaching back up to knock, she opened the door.

"Sparky! What are you doing here? Oh my goodness dear, you're a mess." She stepped out of the way to let her daughter and Rarity in. "Please, come in. Let's get you cleaned up."

Rarity gave Twilight a funny look, mouthing 'Sparky' to her as they walked in the door. She addressed Mrs. Sparkle on the way in. "Good afternoon. It's very nice to meet you."

After Twilight and Rarity cleared the doorway, Mrs. Sparkle led them to the bathroom. "It's nice to meet you to. You seem very familiar. Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"This is Rarity. I've told you a little about her in my letters." They all made their way into a spacious bathroom. Twilight turned to address Rarity. "Rarity, this is my mom. Her name is also Twilight. My dad's name is Nightlight. My family calls me Sparky." She blushed, before turning back to her mom. "I wasn't really expecting you to be home."

"I took the day off to get our packing done so we could leave as soon as your dad got home from work. But now you're here, so should I stop packing?" Mrs. Sparkle had started to run a bath for the two weary ponies, but she was utterly confused as to why her daughter was in Canterlot.

"I'm hoping to be back in Ponyville by tonight, but I guess that depends on a few things." A twinge of sadness entered Twilight's voice as she remember why they were here. "Maybe we can go back to Ponyville together?" She started to sniffle.

"Oh, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Mrs. Sparkle quickly embraced her just as Twilight started crying. Rarity was at a loss as to what she should do. She desperately wanted to hold Twilight and tell her everything would be okay. She just wasn't sure how Mrs. Sparkle would react to such a loving embrace of her daughter. Figuring she was in good hands, Rarity used the sink to quickly wash up. She excused herself shortly afterwards.

"Mrs. Sparkle, there is something I _must_ do at the castle. It has to do with why your daughter is crying right now. Please forgive me." Rarity turned and bolted out of the house, galloping as fast as she could for the castle gates.

Rarity had not given Mrs. Sparkle any time to reply. Twilight's sobbing was beginning to taper off. She continued to hold her daughter, wiping away the tears from her face. "Please tell me what's wrong? I can't help you if I don't know."

Twilight started to speak between sobs. "I did something… that I know… has hurt Spike's feelings. It involves… Rarity as well, which is why… she is going to the castle to talk to him. She's… hoping to be able… to fix things between the three of us."

"Well I know you would never do something to intentionally hurt somepony else's feelings. This had to be an accident, right?" Mrs. Sparkle pulled her daughter closer.

"No, it wasn't intentional… but I didn't think about Spike at all. Now I'm afraid I'm going to lose him." Twilight started crying harder.

"Well, what in Celestia's name did you do? And how is your friend involved?" Mrs. Sparkle was trying not to cry. She hated seeing her daughter this emotionally torn up.

"Spike has a crush on Rarity." Twilight backed out of her mother's embrace. She _had_ to tell her the truth, even though the truth absolutely terrified Twilight right now.

"Okay, that's… weird, but I'm guessing that's not the half of it." Mrs. Sparkle waited patiently as Twilight gathered the courage to explain the rest of the story.

"I… I'm in love… with Rarity. We started dating earlier this week. I was so… wrapped up in my own feelings that I never even considered Spike's until I realized he would be coming home soon. I sent him a letter yesterday, trying to explain. He's got to be so mad at me, and I don't know what I can do to fix this." Twilight collapsed on the floor, her face buried in her hooves.

Mrs. Sparkle's eyes had gotten huge, but she didn't utter a single word. She just had so much information jammed down her throat. It was taking her a little while to process it all. A few moments later, she finally felt she had a grasp of the situation, and settled down next to her daughter with a smile on her face.

"So, that means that Rarity is your marefriend, correct?" She gave Twilight's cheek a little nuzzle.

Twilight looked up at her mom's face, but could only manage a nod.

"Well, for starters, I'm very happy for you! Sweetheart, you've fallen it love! I'm so excited!" She leaned into Twilight and gave her a big hug.

Twilight immediately went into shock. Her mom wasn't upset… she was happy! She got up enough to return her mother's embrace. "Thank you mom. I really didn't know how you would feel about me dating a mare. Do you think dad will approve?"

"Sparky, your dad is going to support you just as much now as he always has. We both are. I'm looking forward to getting to know Rarity better. She seems like a very nice pony… very pretty." She slowly let go of Twilight and pulled her up to her hooves. She gave her a gentle nudge towards the bath.

Twilight carefully stepped into the bath, immediately feeling relaxed as the warm water eased the aches of the long hike. She levitated a washcloth from the linen closet, and started rubbing the caked on mud off her legs. "Rarity definitely has a sense for fashion, but I think she worries about her appearance a little too much sometimes. I have a feeling she's going to have a meltdown later about meeting you looking the way she did." She chuckled. "She's just so focused right now with trying to fix this issue with Spike. Everything else doesn't seem to matter to her. Her ability to focus like that is one of the things I love about her." She stopped scrubbing for a moment. She looked over to her mom with a deep blush on her cheeks. "She _is_ verypretty."

Twilight took her time washing up while telling her mom more about Rarity. Afterwards, she gave her mother a hoof packing for their trip. Eventually, her lack of sleep caught up with her. She went to her old bedroom and took a nap, waiting for either her dad or Rarity to come back.

Rarity slowed down as she approached the castle gates. A guard noticed her approaching and walked up to greet her.

"Good afternoon miss. Can I help you?" The guard waited patiently while Rarity caught her breath.

"I'm here to speak with a young dragon named Spike. Princess Celestia was informed I would be arriving." She had felt like laying down the moment she had come to a stop, but she just couldn't let herself do it.

The guard went back to his little shack next to the gate and looked over a clipboard. He looked back over to Rarity. "Your name miss?"

"Oh! How rude of me. It's Rarity." She was surprised that she hadn't introduced herself. 'I must be more tired than I realized' she thought.

The guard flipped the first page on the clipboard over and ran a hoof down the second before stopping about two thirds of the way down. "Ah, here you are. Princess Celestia is expecting you." The guard turned and opened the gate, waving her through. "Please head up to the main entrance. Somepony will assist you from there."

She walked as quickly as she could manage, trying to balance a look of sophistication with simply not falling over from exhaustion. It didn't take her long to reach the main entrance. She was greeted by a young mare wearing a lovely dress. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Rarity. I believe Princess Celestia is expecting me." She quickly raised a hoof to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"Follow me please." The mare turned and headed into the castle, with Rarity following close behind. They did not walk for very long. The mare stopped next to a doorway and guided Rarity into the room. "Please wait here. Princess Celestia will be with you shortly."

Rarity was relieved to see several pillows lying on the floor. She made herself comfortable on the nearest one as she heard the door close. Once settled in, she looked around the room. She was surprised to see that there really wasn't anything special about it, considering it was inside the castle. There were a few book shelves, and a small table in the middle of the pillows. There were four lamps, one in each corner. The lamp shades were nice, but not anything special. Her continued scan of the room was interrupted by the door opening.

"Good afternoon, Rarity. Oh my! You look exhausted! You didn't stop to rest before you got here?" Celestia was very surprised to see Rarity in such an unbeautified state. "Can I get you something to drink, or eat?"

Rarity quickly got up to bow. "Thank you very much princess, but I'll be fine a little while longer. I _really_ want to talk to Spike first."

At the mention of his name, Spike walked through the door. He had been standing just on the other side, unsure if he wanted to go in or not.

"Spike! It's good to see you again… although I wish it were under better circumstances. Would it be okay if we talk?" Rarity sat back down on the pillow and pointed to another nearby pillow, hoping Spike would sit. Much to her relief, he did. Celestia closed the door, and then proceeded to walk over to a bookshelf. She was interested in the conversation, but didn't want to stick her muzzle right in the middle of it.

Spike hadn't said a word since he walked in the door, so Rarity tried to break the ice gently. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. I knew you had feelings for me, but I thought it was just a phase you were going through. I guess I should have realized that wasn't the case."

"So, I never had a chance huh?" Spike hung his head.

"No dear. I guess I never should have let you get your hopes up." Rarity started making a figure eight on the floor with a hoof. "I should have stopped you before it got this far."

Rarity got up and gave him a hug. "Even if you were older, I just couldn't see you that way. I'm sorry." She backed up a little, and lifted his face with a hoof. "I hope we can still be friends though."

A small smile settled onto Spike's face. "I would like that." He paused for a moment. "I do have one question for you though. It's kinda been bugging me. Why did you agree to date Twilight? I always thought you were interested in… well, colts." The question had gotten Celestia's attention and she turned her head to listen closer, her ears cocking to the side.

"That is a far question. Just so you both know…" She shot a smiling glance over to Celestia. Knowing she was caught, Celestia walked over and settled onto a pillow, fully admitting to being interested in this part with a sheepish smile of her own. Rarity waited until Celestia had finished settling in before continuing.

"I didn't agree right away. When Twilight told me she had feelings for me, I didn't know _what_ to think. I told her I would think about it and we went to sleep. Neither of us slept really well. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to say to her and I think Twilight was panicking because she didn't know what I was going to say, or how our friendship would be affected." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. She took a deep breath before continuing again.

"But to truly answer you question, I guess I was curious. I've had a couple of relationships with colts before, but they didn't last. After the whole fiasco with Prince Blueblood, I guess I was left in such a state as to question whether stallions were really what I wanted… or needed." She paused a moment. "Twilight is a _very_ sweet pony. I don't have to tell you that… you've known her longer than I have. She's always been a good friend, but I guess I never really considered her as a romantic partner because we never spent all that much time alone. I know her as a friend, but I found myself wanting to know _everything_ about her after she told me how she felt. I will also admit that I think she's beautiful. I always thought she was pretty… for a book worm." They all chuckled. "But now, I can't stop looking at her. She's much prettier than she gives herself credit for." She stopped talking, with a bright red blush on her face.

Celestia sheepish smile had turned into a whole face grin by the time Rarity stopped. Spike on the other hand, was beginning to regret asking the question in the first place. He hated listening to mushy stuff, but he found it to be what he had needed to hear. When the blush on her face subsided a little, she spoke up again.

"I have to say that, while I never saw this coming, I am falling in love with Twilight a little more each day. It's because I care for her so much now, I just can't stand to see her cry." She started to sniffle.

"Twilight's still crying?" Celestia and Spike asked in unison.

Rarity nodded. "She's been such a mess. She started bawling again at her parent's house. Her mom was trying to console her when I left."

Celestia looked at Spike. "Do you think you can forgive Twilight?"

"Already done. Now I need to go tell her that. I don't like Twilight crying any more than you do Rarity." He gave Rarity a hug and carefully wiped the tears from her face.

Rarity returned Spike's hug. "You know, I thought you were going to be a lot more upset when I got here."

"Princess Celestia was kind enough to be there for me after she gave me Twilight's letter. She helped me talk things out. I was able to get all of my anger out last night because of her." He beamed a smile at Celestia. "Now that I've had a chance to talk to you, I feel I have a much better understanding. I have to admit that I'm probably going to feel a little uncomfortable with you two being lovey dovey, but I'll respect it."

"We'll try to keep the lovey dovey stuff to a minimum when you're around, I promise. Pinkie Pie swear even!" Rarity started going through the motions before Spike stopped her.

"I believe you Rarity. Now come on! I need to see Twilight, and let her know that everything's okay now." He started for the door.

"Hang on Spike." Rarity turned to face Celestia. "Thank you so much for your help. I know it means a lot to Twilight… and to me." She gave another bow.

"Knowing that Twilight has a pony that cares so deeply about her makes me happier than you'll ever know. Now go on. I'm sure she can't wait to see you… both of you." Celestia waved as they exited the room.

They made their way, as quickly as decorum would allow them, to the main entrance and out to the front gate. Once they had exited, Rarity lowered her back a little. "Hop on Spike. I don't remember where her parents live, so I'm going to need you to give directions."

Spike jumped on. Once he got settled, Rarity started walking. She wanted to go faster, but her body just wouldn't let her.

"Rarity? I wanted to ask earlier, but I didn't think it would have been appropriate to bring it up in front of the princess. Are you okay? I don't think I've ever seen you look this…" His mouth fumbled for an appropriate word.

"Disheveled?" Rarity offered.

"Yes, exactly!" Spike waited for her to continue.

"Well, I've been rained on. I spent half the trip here walking through mud. I'm sweaty. I'm tired. I only took enough time at the house to wash most of the mud off my front legs and give my face a quick splash. It was just too important to me to talk to you for Twilight's sake to be concerned with anything else. But now that you've brought it up, I can't _believe_ that I meet Twilight's mother for the first time looking like _this!"_ She shook her head and visibly slumped. "The princess saw me like this too. I'm _never_ going to be able to show my face in the castle _ever again!"_

She still had mud caked halfway up her back legs. Her mane and tail had gone straight. Her tail had mud caked on the end where it had been dragging on the ground. The rest of her body was speckled in mud. All she wanted to do was take a bath, and then sleep for the next three days.

Spike gave her a gentle pat on the neck. "I wouldn't worry about it to much. Turn right here." He pointed to an alley. "I think the princess understood, otherwise I'm sure she would have made a bigger deal about it. I'm sure Twilight has told her mother what's going on by now, so I don't think she'll think any worse of you."

Rarity turned her head enough to give Spike a smile as they entered the alley. The rest of the trip was made in silence, except for the occasional direction from Spike. When they finally made it to the house, Spike hopped off and knocked on the door. Mrs. Sparkle quickly opened it.

"Oh, welcome back… and you brought Spike! Were you able to talk things out? She waved them in and closed the door.

"Yup. I want to let Twilight know that everything's okay. I'm not mad at her… at least, not anymore." Spike started looking around for her. "Where is she anyway?"

"The poor thing was exhausted, so she's sleeping. Please don't wake her. You can talk to her after she wakes up." She turned to Rarity. "Now, as for you." She walked over and surprised Rarity with a hug. "I'm so happy Twilight has somepony who cares so much about her."

Rarity let a sigh slip from her lips. "So she told you then? You're fine with her dating me?"

"Honey, from what she's told me and what I've seen you do for her today, I have no reason not to be okay with it." She backed up to give Rarity a once over. "Now, Twilight said that this is not how you usually look. What do you say we go get you cleaned up? Then maybe we can have a bit to eat while we wait for her father to get home?" Mrs. Sparkle gave Rarity a gentle nudge towards the bathroom.

"Thank you _so much!_ I feel _horrible_ having met you for the first time looking like _this!_" Rarity gladly headed into the bathroom.

Mrs. Sparkle started the bath, and then went out to get several towels from the linen closet. She placed them on the counter. "I'll give you some privacy. Take your time dear."

"Oh, don't tell me to do that! I'll be in here the rest of the evening if I take my time!" Rarity laughed. She reached over to stop the running water as Mrs. Sparkle closed the door.

It felt so good to finally get all that mud and sweat off. She ended up draining the water because it had gotten so dirty that she wasn't getting any cleaner using it. Instead of refilling the tub, she turned the shower on instead. After a few more minutes of scrubbing and rinsing, she turned the shower off. She stepped out of the tub, and started to towel herself dry. She gave herself a thorough look in the mirror to make sure she hadn't missed any mud. Satisfied that she got it all, she started to comb out her tail first, then her mane. It took some time, but she eventually got the curl back. She looked back in the mirror to enjoy the drastic improvement, only to sulk once she saw the bags under her eyes. "Oh well, there's nothing I can about that here. I'll just have to get a few extra hours of beauty sleep tonight."

She exited the bathroom. She was about to go back to where she left Spike, but she just had to see Twilight. There was only one door closed in the hallway, so she figured she would try there first. It was a good guess. There was Twilight, peacefully asleep. She quietly walked over to the edge of the bed, careful not to wake her. She simply watched Twilight sleep for a few moments before she heard the door give a little squeak. She turned and saw Mrs. Sparkle slowly approach.

"So this is what you look like all cleaned up. Twilight wasn't kidding. You really are a looker." Mrs. Sparkle whispered as she stood next to Rarity.

Rarity blushed profusely. "Thank you."

"Come on dear. Let's get some food in you before you pass out." She nudged Rarity towards the door. "You can come back and get some rest yourself later. We can always wait until tomorrow morning to leave for Ponyville. You and Twilight both need the sleep."

They walked to the kitchen and found Spike whipping up a small feast. "I'm guessing you haven't eaten since last night. Thought you might be hungry." Spike started to serve soup and salad. "That should hold you over until the main course is done. I hope you don't mind, Mrs. Sparkle. I kinda took the liberty of starting dinner for everyone. Force of habit I guess. It should be ready in another hour or so. I sure hope Mr. Sparkle gets home before it gets cold."

"Spike, that is very nice of you! I don't mind at all!" Mrs. Sparkle was tickled that she wouldn't have to cook. "He should be coming home any minute now."

Spike had returned to the kitchen to watch over dinner. The two ponies were just finishing the lovely soup and salad when the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Nightlight dropped his saddlebag next to the door as he came in.

"Welcome home dear. I've got some wonderful news for you… and someone for you to meet as well." Mrs. Sparkle walked over to her husband and gave him a big hug.

"Well, you're definitely in a good mood. What's this news of yours?" Nightlight gave her a kiss on the cheek and returned her hug.

"Sparky's in love!" Mrs. Sparkle beamed a huge smile at him. Rarity poked her head out of the dining room.

"_What!_" Nightlight's jaw hit the floor. "I thought you said it was _good_ news!" He collected himself, and walked over to the nearby closet. He started rummaging around. "Honey, have you seen my baseball bat?"

"No, why?" Mrs. Sparkle asked, confused by her husband's reaction.

"Ah, here it is." He pulled it out and leaned it against the wall. "I need to go beat some reason into whatever colt got it into his mind that he's good enough for our Sparky!"

Rarity immediately cowered and hid behind the dining room wall.

"Nightlight!" Mrs. Sparkle was horrified. "You put that bat back into that closet _right now!_"

"But" Nightlight picked the bat up, but hesitated to put it away.

"_Now!_" Mrs. Sparkle stared him down.

Knowing he had _no_ chance of winning this fight, he turned to put the bat away.

"Now, like I said earlier, there is somepony you _need_ to meet. Rarity, dear, you can come out of the dining room. I promise he isn't going to hurt you." Mrs. Sparkle walked over to the kitchen entrance and poked her head around the corner to find Rarity lying on the floor shaking. "It's okay dear. He just gets a little defensive about his daughter." She helped Rarity up and escorted her to the living room.

"Sweetheart, this is Rarity… Twilight's marefriend. Rarity, this is my boneheaded husband." She shot Nightlight a smirk.

"It's nice to meet you sir." Rarity extended a hoof, her voice trembling slightly.

"It's nice to meet you too, Rarity." He shook her hoof gently. "Wait, marefriend?" He looked over at his wife.

Mrs. Sparkle nodded. He looked back at Rarity and was about to say something before a voice piped up from behind them.

"What's going on?" Twilight yawned with her eyes half open. "Oh, daddy! You're home!" Twilight rushed over and gave him a big hug.

"Sparky!" He returned his daughter's hug. "I didn't know you were here too."

Spike rushed out of the kitchen to the living room. "Was that Twilight I heard?"

Twilight immediately froze and turned to see Spike in the doorway to the dining room. "Spike? You're here?" She turned to look at Rarity, then back to Spike. "Does this mean…"

Spike walked the remaining distance and gave Twilight a hug. "Yes. Everything's fine. I'm not mad anymore."

Twilight started crying. "Oh, Spike! I'm so sorry to have put you through that! Please forgive me!"

"Already done Twilight… already done." Spike tightened his embrace.

Nightlight looked over to his wife with a puzzled look. She nodded to the dining room and he followed her. She motioned for him to take a seat, and proceeded to explain everything that had happened that afternoon.

"So, you're serious then? Sparky and Rarity really are a couple?" He looked back to the living room and saw Rarity gently nuzzling Twilight's neck. "What do you think of Rarity dear? She seems like a nice pony at first glance."

"She cares a lot for Sparky. I think that's what matters most. Most of what I know of her is from what Sparky told me. She's a small business owner. She works in the fashion industry. Do you remember the letter Twilight sent us about the Elements of Harmony?"

"Vaguely. Her friends were the bearers right?" He wasn't quite sure where the conversation was going.

"Rarity is one of them. The Element of Generosity I believe." They both looked back out to the living room, only to have their gazes returned by Twilight and Rarity. "I think we've been caught dear." Mrs. Sparkle chuckled. She waved for her daughter and Rarity to join them. Spike had since returned to the kitchen, though he popped out a few minutes later to serve dinner.

Twilight's parents spent the rest of the evening getting to know Rarity. They talked about everything that had happened in Ponyville over the past several days. After dinner, Twilight and Rarity excused themselves and headed to Twilight's old bedroom to sleep. Spike had curled up on a pillow in the living room sometime during dinner and was fast asleep. Mrs. Sparkle had offered to clean up, not wanting to keep her daughter or Rarity up any longer.

"You don't have a problem with the two of them sharing a bed?" Nightlight gave his wife a concerned look.

"Honey, it's not like they're going to get each other pregnant. Anyway, they're both too tired to get into any sort of trouble tonight." She walked over from the kitchen sink and nuzzled him. "We on the other hand…" She gave him a wink and headed for their bedroom.

"Yes!" He did a quick hoof pump before following her.

Applejack was in her barn, putting away the last of the farm equipment she had used that day. She turned to face the door, sat down, and watched as the sun dropped below the horizon. The sight quickly caused her mind to wander back to the previous evening.

**Fluttershy had shown up on time, but obviously with something on her mind. She had only made a few comments during the family dinner, mainly about how good the food was. Applejack had occasionally taken a couple of glances at her during the meal, concerned that she wasn't enjoying herself. Several times, she caught Fluttershy looking at her. Fluttershy would quickly blush and then return to her meal. When Fluttershy was about to leave for the night, she really confused Applejack.**

"**I have something I want to talk to you about… but not tonight. I'm just not ready." Fluttershy pawed at the dirt a few times. "Good night, Applejack. Thank you for the lovely dinner."**

"**G'night, Fluttershy. You know you can talk to me about anything… when yer ready of course." Applejack waved as she left.**

She flopped down on the barn floor with her head in her hooves. 'What in the world is going on with Fluttershy?' she thought. She got back up and headed for her bed.

Fluttershy was pacing in her living room. She had been replaying the night before in her head all day. She had been so distracted when she had been feeding the animals that she kept screwing up. She had tried to give the rabbits bird seed and the chickens vegetables. Angel had been throwing carrots at her head all day trying to get her to snap out of it.

"What am I going to do? Applejack is only going to wait so long for me to say something before she comes looking for answers." She headed up to her bedroom and flopped on the bed. "I'm not even sure how I should tell her."

She continued to think for a little while. She came to a conclusion just before sleep overtook her. "I'll go ask Twilight for advice tomorrow."

Twilight and Rarity settled into bed. Twilight snuggled up behind Rarity, draping her right legs over her. "Thank you so much for everything you've done. I'll never be able to show you just how much this meant to me." She gave Rarity a gentle kiss on the neck, then settled in with her nose in Rarity's mane.

"I'm just glad it worked out." Rarity let out a big yawn. "I think I would do anything if it meant I wouldn't have to see you cry." She worked her way as close to Twilight as she could. They both quickly drifted off to sleep.

A short time later, grunting and moaning could be heard coming from down the hall. Luckily for Twilight and Rarity, they were so exhausted that they didn't hear it. Spike, unfortunately, was not so lucky.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Twilight was the first one to wake up the next morning, having been able to take a long nap the previous afternoon. She found her right legs still draped over Rarity, holding her close. She carefully rolled over, not wanting to wake her up. Succeeding in getting out of the bed without disturbing her partner, she quietly walked over to the door. It gave a small squeak as it opened, but wasn't loud enough to be heard across the room. She decided to leave the door open, not wanting to risk making any more noise that could possibly wake Rarity. She made her way down the hallway, noticing that her parent's bedroom door was still shut. Walking into the living room, she saw Spike slowly crawling out of his temporary bed.

"Good morning, Spike." Twilight walked over to give him a hug. "Did you sleep well?"

"No, I did not." Spike shook his head a few times, trying to force himself alert.

"You looked like you were sleeping pretty well when Rarity and I went to bed. Did something happen while we were asleep?" Twilight let go of Spike, backing up a few step to get a good look at him.

"You mean you didn't hear that racket last night?" Spike did not believe it possible that the whole neighborhood had not heard the noises that had been coming from the hallway.

"No, Spike, I didn't. I was so tired when I went to bed. What happened?" The fact that something had happened in the middle of the night that did not wake her did not surprise her. What did surprise her was that Spike thought it should have. "I'm pretty sure that Pinkie Pie could have thrown a party in my room last night, and I wouldn't have noticed a thing."

"I think your parents were… oh, how do I put this?" Spike's mind fumbled for a way to put this delicately. "They were practicing… making another foal… I think. At least, I hope that's what all that moaning was."

"They were… really? Now I'm _glad_ I was exhausted. I'm sorry you had to hear that." Twilight quickly wrapped Spike in another hug.

"I'll be happy if I never have to hear that again any time soon. Speaking of which, and tell me if I'm being too forward. Are you and Rarity… you know?" Spike felt her embrace go slack.

She backed up a few steps so she could look him straight in the eye. "No… and under the circumstances, I don't think that is an inappropriate question. I will admit I have thought about it. I'm not exactly sure if I'm ready. Heck, I don't even know _how_ I'll know when I am ready. You know I have no experience with this sorta stuff, Spike. Sure, I've read about it, but I'm finding out very quickly that the actual experience of being in a relationship is a much better way to learn, if a little awkward at times." She blushed and gently pawed her left hoof at the floor.

"Well, I think the fact that you've thought about it means that there's a good chance that you may. I really think I'm going to need to find another place to sleep… maybe with some sound proof walls?" Spike gave her a smirk. "If you are anything like your mom…"

"_Spike_… now that _is_ going too far!" Twilight was trying to use Fluttershy's stare on him without gagging at the same time. "That is _not_ an image I want in my head… _ever!_"

"Sorry!" Spike backed up a few steps. "I should have known better than to say that. It just slipped out!"

Twilight calmed down quickly. "I think maybe the three of us need to figure out some new sleeping arrangements when we get home. I believe it may just be time for you to have your own room." She looked down at the floor, begrudgingly admitting her next statement. "I'll look into a soundproofing spell also… just in case."

"Oh, you two are up already? Where's Rarity?" Mr. Sparkle walked into the room. Mrs. Sparkle popped out from behind him, heading for the kitchen to start making breakfast.

"Rarity is still in bed." Twilight gave her parents a stern look. "Spike heard you last night."

Mrs. Sparkle froze in place, mortified. Mr. Sparkle's mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out. Mrs. Sparkle eventually broke out of her shock, and started to apologize profusely. "Oh, Spike, I'm so sorry! I had no idea. We thought you all were sound asleep. I'm so sorry. Sparky, did you?"

"I didn't, and I don't believe that Rarity did either." She let out a sigh. "I can't believe you did that while we were here."

"I'm sorry, dear. At our age, when the mood hits, you go for it. Maybe you'll understand when you're older… but that's no excuse. We should have known better." Mrs. Sparkle gave her husband a worried look before continuing to the kitchen.

Mr. Sparkle finally managed to speak. "Spike, are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I know you didn't mean for me to hear anything. I'll live." He turned to Twilight. "I may have some questions later. They might be better suited for a one on one conversation though."

"I understand. I'll try to answer them as best I can, but there are some things that you may be better off not knowing yet." Twilight gave him a smile. Spike was growing up, if maybe a little faster than he should have to. She would really have to think about what was safe to tell him, and what she still needed to hold back on.

"Good morning, everypony. Am I the last to get up?" Rarity slowly made her way down the hallway, making no attempt to hide a big yawn.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Twilight closed the gap quickly, smothering Rarity in a warm embrace.

"Good morning to you too, dear." Rarity returned her lover's hug, struggling slightly to keep her balance from the sudden onslaught of affection.

Twilight leaned in close to her ear. "You didn't happen to hear anything… odd last night?"

Rarity let go of Twilight, stepping back to look at her face. "No? Why, did something happen?"

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, but it's nothing you need to worry about. I'll tell you later."

"Okay." Rarity gave her a puzzled look, before continuing into the living room. Twilight followed behind her.

Rarity settled down on a large pillow. Twilight settled in right next to her, leaning slightly against her shoulder. She gave Rarity a soft nuzzle on the left side of her neck. Rarity blushed slightly, but loved the attention. They probably would have continued like this for a few more minutes, if their attention hadn't been caught by a cough from across the room.

"Sparky, have you given any thought as to what you want to do today? Do you still want us to come to Ponyville, or should we maybe postpone that trip for another time?" Nightlight took a seat, patiently waiting for a response from his daughter.

"Well, I know that even if we leave within the next hour, we still won't get to Ponyville until around noon." Sparky frowned, but her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I wonder who that could be." Nightlight got up to answer the door. He raised his voice slightly. "Honey, were you expecting anyone this morning?"

"I thought we wouldn't be home, so no." Mrs. Sparkle poked her head out of the kitchen.

Nightlight opened the door.

"Good morning, sir." A teal colored earth pony in royal attire addressed Nightlight. "Princess Celestia sends her regards to you and your family." He turned, pointing to a carriage. "She also thought you may want a ride to Ponyville?"

"Well, would you look at that!" Nightlight turned to Rarity and Sparky. "I think Princess Celestia may just have a soft spot in her heart for you two. It looks like we won't be walking to Ponyville today."

"Rarity, remind me to send the princess a thank you letter when we get home." Twilight quickly got up, then helped Rarity. "Mom, dad, where are your bags? Spike and I will go take them to the carriage."

"What about breakfast?" Mrs. Sparkle was clearly upset that she may have just wasted her time trying to make a nice meal for them.

"Don't worry. We'll eat before we leave." Twilight waited patiently at the entrance to the hallway.

"The bags are in our bedroom dear. Let me help you with them." Nightlight started to head for his room.

"Dad, please go sit down. We've got this." Twilight turned to collect the luggage, with Spike following closely behind.

"Mrs. Sparkle, is there anything I can do to help you in the kitchen?" Rarity asked.

"I think I'm just about done, actually. You can help Nightlight set the table if you'd like." Mrs. Sparkle gave Rarity a big smile.

Nightlight showed Rarity where they kept the dishes and silverware. They quickly set the table while Spike and Sparky finished loading the bags. Mrs. Sparkle brought out the warm breakfast to the table. "Sparky… Spike! Hurry up before your food gets cold!"

"Spike, go ahead. I'll be there shortly." Twilight gave him a gentle nudge into the house. She turned around to the carriage ponies. "Why don't you go ahead and get yourselves something to eat before we leave? It will probably be twenty minutes before we're ready to go."

"Are you sure, Miss Sparkle? We don't want to make you wait for us." The carriage ponies were not used to being treated this nicely. Most of Canterlot's elite were boorish at best.

"I insist. Now go on… get yourselves something nice to eat." She waved them off, refusing to go eat until they left. Once they had turned and started walking off, she entered the house, heading directly to the dining room table. "Okay, the carriage is ready when we are. I made them go get some breakfast, as I'm sure they didn't have time to get a proper meal before they came here."

"That was sweet of you, dear. Now, time to take care of yourself. Eat up, and take your time. We're in no hurry." Mrs. Sparkle was just now seating herself at the table, having made sure that the others were served first.

The table was quiet. They were all too busy enjoying the wonderful meal that Mrs. Sparkle had managed to whip up so quickly. After polishing off their plates, Rarity and Sparky insisted on clearing the table. By the time all the dishes were clean, the carriage ponies had returned. After making a final check to ensure they had not forgotten to pack anything, they all loaded into the carriage. Nightlight used a quick spell to lock the front door, before the carriage started its trip to Ponyville.

Fluttershy woke up with the sun rise. She quickly glided downstairs to begin her usual morning routine of feeding the animals in her care, and herself. She did not want to dawdle this morning. She had too much on her mind for that. Satisfied that all the animals were taken care of, she made her way to the kitchen. She ate a bowl of oatmeal, and then quickly grabbed an apple to take with her. Leaving her front door unlocked, she made her way towards town. The sun was only slightly over the horizon by the time she made it to the Ponyville library. She gave the front door a few gentle taps, her best attempt at a knock. She was afraid that she was probably waking Twilight up, but was so desperate to talk to her. When there was no answer, she tapped the door a few more times, just slightly harder. Again, there was no answer. She took a couple of steps to the side to peek in through the nearby window. The interior was dark, and there was no sign of movement. Concerned that there might be something wrong with her friend, she tried to open the front door, only to find it locked.

'I hope Twilight and Rarity are okay. I wonder where they are.'

She turned around to face the rest of town. 'Maybe Pinkie Pie knows.' She trotted to Sugar Cube Corner.

When she arrived, she could see Pinkie just getting her morning started. Pinkie was filling the display cases with fresh baked goods, quickly dashing back and forth between the front of the store and the kitchen. Fluttershy opened the door, and tried to flag her pink friend down.

"Hi, Fluttershy! I'll be right with you." Pinkie darted back into the kitchen. She quickly popped back out with a tray full of muffins. Placing the tray into the last empty space in the display, she turned and bolted over to Fluttershy, stopping inches from her face. "What's up?"

"Um, do you know where Twilight is? It doesn't look like she's home." Fluttershy took a step back, a little uncomfortable with being so close.

"Nope… haven't seen her. Are you sure she's not still sleeping?" Pinkie asked, before swallowing a cupcake whole.

"I'm not sure. I know that Rarity likes to get up early to get her store ready, but all the lights are out, and there was no movement inside." Fluttershy paused a second, a confused look on her face. "How do you do that without choking?"

Pinkie paused for a moment before shrugging. She then devoured another cupcake. "Would you like a cupcake too?"

"No, thank you. I already ate breakfast." Fluttershy glanced out the window towards the library.

Pinkie's expression quickly changed to one of concern. "Fluttershy, what's wrong? I'm sure Twilight and Rarity are okay. They probably just had something they needed to do."

"It's just... I really need to talk to Twilight… or even Rarity. It's not that I don't want to talk to you about it. I don't know if you have any experience with this sorta thing, though." Fluttershy dropped onto her rear, still staring out the window.

"Wait right there. I'll be right back." Pinkie disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, she came back out. "Come upstairs… we can talk there, with a little more privacy."

"But, I thought you were working. I don't want to get you in trouble." Fluttershy got up to face her friend.

"It's okay. I asked Mrs. Cake if I could have a few minutes to talk to you. She said it was all right." Pinkie ushered Fluttershy to the staircase, giving her a gentle nudge to get her started up.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Pinkie took the lead. Fluttershy followed her to her bedroom. Pinkie motioned for her to take a seat on the bed as she shut the door behind them. "So, what's going on Fluttershy? You're obviously a little more worried than usual."

Fluttershy climbed onto the bed and made herself comfortable. "Well, I need to talk to Applejack about something serious, but I don't know how to go about doing it. I'm also afraid that, once I talk to her, she may not want to be my friend anymore." Fluttershy stared at the blanket. She just could not bring herself to look Pinkie in the eye.

"That does sound serious." Pinkie bounced her way onto the bed, settling down next to Fluttershy, but giving her a little space this time. She wanted Fluttershy to feel as comfortable as possible. "Did you do something to hurt Applejack's feelings?"

"No! At least, I don't think so. She might be a little frustrated with me right now. I told her I needed to talk to her, but that I wasn't ready." Fluttershy let her head drop down to the mattress.

"Can I ask what it's about?" Pinkie put a hoof gently on her shoulder.

Fluttershy jumped slightly at the contact, but realizing that Pinkie was just trying to comfort her, she settled down quickly. "I want to ask Applejack on a date."

"What!"

"And that's the kind of reaction I'm afraid I'm going to get from her." Fluttershy buried her face under her front hooves.

Pinkie felt horrible. Here she was trying to help Fluttershy, and she had just made her feel worse. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You just… caught me by surprise, which isn't easy to do! I had no idea that you felt that way about her."

Fluttershy pulled one of her hooves off her face, peeking one eye out at Pinkie. "Honestly, I'm not sure that I do. I like Applejack. She's a great pony. Anypony would be lucky to have her as a marefriend. I guess I'm curious enough to want to find out if maybe there could be something more between us. I didn't even think about dating a mare until Rarity and Twilight got together."

"Yeah, I didn't see that one coming either. I think my Pinkie Sense has been a little off recently."

Fluttershy giggled, bringing her other hoof off her face. "They do make a nice couple though. I'm happy for them."

"So am I! They're letting me throw a party for them! Oh, right. The party is tomorrow, at dusk. Can you make it?"

"I might be a little late. I have the get the animals settled in for the night. Is that okay?"

"I'm sure nopony would mind… just try not to be too late."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Sooooo, what are you going to do about Applejack?"

"I don't know! Do you think I should tell her?"

"I guess you were right. Maybe I'm not the best pony to talk to about this. I don't know if you should or not. I think Twilight may have found herself in the same situation as you though. She asked Rarity out, right?"

"Uhuh, which was kinda why I wanted to talk to her. I don't want to make Applejack wait much longer though… and I don't know when Twilight will get home."

"Well, if Twilight decided it was worth the risk to ask Rarity out, then maybe you should take the risk yourself?"

"Maybe."

"You know you're not going to be able to lie to her. None of us can! If you try, she's gonna see right through it. I think you're gonna have to tell her."

"I guess you're right, Pinkie. But how?"

"I'd just walk right up and tell her. If you try to do anything more than that, she's going to know that something else is going on."

"You're right. I just don't know if I can do that, though."

"Would you like me to come with you… at least until you get to the farm? I don't think you or Applejack would want me standing right there."

"You mean right now!"

"Yes."

"But Pinkie, you're working!"

"I'll ask Mrs. Cake if I can take a personal day. This is important! I want to be there to help, if I can." Pinkie beamed a huge smile at her. "If this doesn't work out, I want to be there to cheer you up. If it does work out, I'll be the first to congratulate you!"

"Aww, Pinkie! Thank you!"

Fluttershy gave Pinkie a big hug, before jumping off the bed. Pinkie quickly followed, and they both went downstairs. Pinkie disappeared into the kitchen for a moment to explain the situation to Mr. and Mrs. Cake. When she returned to the front of the store, she gave Fluttershy a big smile. Together, they headed for Sweet Apple Acres.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Fluttershy cocked her head a little towards Pinkie.

"Why Applejack?"

Fluttershy stopped, causing Pinkie to make an abrupt, mid-air U-turn. She had asked herself that very same question the night before… several times in fact, but had never really been able to come up with a reasonable answer.

Pinkie was very concerned with her friend's reaction to the question. "Fluttershy, you okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. It's just that I'm not sure how to answer your question." Fluttershy hung her head, frustrated that she couldn't give a better answer.

"Fluttershy, don't get all mopey! Forget I asked, please? I want you to be happy, not mopey!" Pinkie gave her a gentle nuzzle.

Fluttershy gave her a little smile in return. "I'm okay, Pinkie. You asked a good question… and it's a question I should be able to answer. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Can we go back to your place? I need some more time to think this over."

"Well of course we can you silly filly! Come on!" Pinkie started hopping back towards the bakery, with Fluttershy slowly following behind her.

Mrs. Cake was quite surprised to see the two mares walk back in the front door and head up the stairs, but didn't say anything. She could see the confusion on Fluttershy's face, and was glad that Pinkie was trying to help her friend.

When they got to Pinkie Pie's room, Fluttershy walked up to the nearest window, and stared out at nothing in particular. Pinkie got comfortable on the bed again. She waited, as patiently as she could, for Fluttershy to start talking again, but it didn't happen. She just couldn't make herself wait any longer… it had been a whole five minutes, almost a new record for her, so she piped up.

"So, whatcha thinkin?"

Fluttershy was so completely lost in thought, that she had totally forgotten that she wasn't alone. She jumped at the sound of Pinkie's voice, but settled down quickly as reality took hold. "I'm just trying to figure out what I want to do. I like Applejack, but I'm starting to think she really is not the one I want to ask out on a date. I do love her… but more like a sister. I do think I would like to date a mare. That much I am certain of… but I don't think I want to try this with just any pony. I'd feel much more comfortable if it's somepony I've known for a while."

Pinkie pondered what Fluttershy had said, then exclaimed "It's like a plate of cupcakes!"

"Huh?" Fluttershy turned to face her friend, confusion again showing plainly on her face.

"I said it's like a plate of cupcakes!"

"I heard you the first time, Pinkie. I just don't know what cupcakes have to do with this."

"Oh, cupcakes can be very helpful in quite a few situations! In this case, the cupcakes represent the ponies you know!"

"Okay?"

"What I'm trying to say, is that you are trying to figure out which cupcake to choose from a plate of cupcakes. The obvious choice is the one that's closest to you… but does that make it the right one? Maybe the right cupcake will turn out to the one that is furthest from you. You have to take the time to judge each cupcake on its merits… and its flaws."

"Oh, I think I understand now. Who knew cupcakes could be so helpful." Fluttershy sat down to consider Pinkie's surprising wisdom. "Okay, so I've ruled out Applejack."

"What about Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie cocked her head to the side.

"No. As much as I like Rainbow Dash as a friend, she's just not the kind of pony I can see myself dating."

"So, who else does… that…?" Pinkie trailed off, as the thought of her own name crossed her mind.

Pinkie's sudden quietness was not lost on Fluttershy. The two ponies just looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

'Pinkie Pie? She wouldn't… would she? Should I?' Fluttershy's brain was in overdrive trying to figure out what she should do.

Pinkie's head was a mess as well… well, more than usual. 'Did I remember to feed Gummy this morning? I hope Mrs. Cake doesn't have to work too hard today. Can carp fly? I wonder if Fluttershy would consider asking me. I really need to start getting the party supplies together for the party tomorrow. Can mares have a foal together? Oh, I really need to get chocolate for the cookies!' The little smile on Pinkie's face gave nothing away as to what was actually going on in her head.

"Pinkie?"

"Yes?"

'I think I need to get some fresh air."

"Ooo, can you deliver a party invitation while you're out?" Pinkie grabbed an invitation from her night stand, and jumping off the bed, walked it over to her.

"Umm, sure. Who is it for?" Fluttershy quickly read the invitation, noting Rainbow Dash's name on it. "Oh, I guess I can get this to her."

Taking the invitation from Pinkie, she turned to leave, but stopped. She turned back around, and proceeded to give Pinkie a hug. "Thank you, Pinkie." A part of her was curious, so she allowed her hug to linger a little longer than a casual hug between friends should. Pinkie felt soft and warm, and Fluttershy closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling.

The duration of the hug was not lost on Pinkie, but she did nothing to try to break away. "I'm glad I was able to help. Maybe… maybe you'd like to help me get ready for the party… after you've gotten enough fresh air?"

Fluttershy slowly back out of the embrace, and looked into Pinkie's eyes. "I think I'd like that." She smiled, before leaving to go make the delivery.

Pinkie watched her friend leave, before gathering the remaining invitation for Applejack. Looking out the window, she saw Fluttershy making her way into the sky. She sat down, and placed her left front hoof gently on her chest. "I wonder how Fluttershy feels about me?" she said to the now empty room.

Applejack was up at the crack of dawn. She made quick work of breakfast, before making her way to the barn to gather supplies she would need for the day's work ahead. She began chucking them into a cart, but stopped, staring out the barn door. She was about to head out of the barn when she saw Big Macintosh coming in.

"Good morning, Big Mac."

"Morning, Applejack. What's your plan for today?"

"Ah… don't know." She sat down, staring out the barn door.

"Applejack, you okay?"

"No, ah'm not. This whole thing with Fluttershy is driving me nuts."

"Go talk to her then." Big Mac nudged his sister towards the door.

"I can't do that now. There's work to be done."

"I'll take care of your morning chores, but just for today. You're not gonna be any good to us when you're this distracted anyway."

"But!"

"No buts. Now go on." Big Mac nudged her a little harder this time, enough to get her standing. "You can meet me in the south field when you're done."

Applejack gave her brother a smile. "Thanks Big Mac. I owe ya one." She gave him a quick hug before galloping out of the barn towards Fluttershy's cottage.

She made the trip quickly, opting to skirt the edge of town instead of going through the middle of it. However, much to her surprise, Fluttershy wasn't home. She made a cursory tour of the grounds around the cottage to make sure, but there was no sign of Fluttershy anywhere. 'Maybe she had to go into town for something.' She turned for the bridge and made her way towards town. Just as she got close to town, she saw Fluttershy making her way into the sky, heading in the opposite direction. "Fluttershy! Wait!" Unfortunately, Fluttershy was simply too far away to be heard.

"Applejack!"

Applejack lowered her head to see Pinkie Pie only a few feet away.

"Mornin', Pinkie. Do you know where Fluttershy is going?"

Pinkie bounced to a stop in front of her. "She's going to deliver an invitation to Rainbow Dash for me. I don't think she'll be gone very long. She said she'd come back to the bakery later." Pinkie turned to watch Fluttershy slowly disappear out of view. She continued to stare out into the sky for a moment, before snapping back around to face Applejack. "Speaking of invitations, I was just getting ready to come to the farm to bring you yours, but now I don't have to because you're here. Hey, wait. Why are you here?"

"I need to talk to Fluttershy. I know she's got something on her mind, and I know it involves me. It's just bugging me to no end that she hasn't told me what it is."

"Oh, that! It's nothing bad Applejack. She'll probably be willing to talk to you about it when she comes back… if you have time to wait for her at the bakery?"

"Wait a minute. _You_ know what this is about?"

"I do now. Fluttershy and I spent a little while this morning talking about it."

"So what in tarnation is going on!"

"It's… I can't tell you Applejack. It's not my place to. It's not so much a secret, but it's not something I should tell you either."

"Fine, I think I understand. I think I'll have a muffin while I wait."

Applejack and Pinkie returned to the bakery. Pinkie asked Applejack to have a seat, before popping into the back to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Cake. She let them know that she would be able to work after all, and that Fluttershy would be coming by later to help. She then popped back out to the front. "What kinda muffin would you like Applejack?"

"Do ya have any of the cinnamon apple ones?"

"Sure do!" Pinkie carefully grabbed the requested muffin from the display case and placed it on a plate. She carried it over to the table where Applejack had sat. Applejack made to pull out a bit for the muffin, but felt a hoof on her shoulder. "It's on me." Pinkie smiled at her, before bouncing over to the register and popping a bit in. "I don't think Fluttershy will be too much longer. Just yell if you need me." Pinkie then disappeared into the kitchen.

Fluttershy slowly made her way to Rainbow Dash's home. Thoughts of the hug she had just shared with Pinkie filled her mind. She had no idea if Pinkie was interested in mares or stallions. Pinkie had never shown any interest either way, at least not that she had noticed. 'I guess I still need to have a talk with Twilight about this. I wonder what Pinkie is thinking right now?' Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of her oldest friend's home coming into view. She quietly landed near the front door. She carefully placed an ear against the door, listening for any sign that Rainbow Dash might be awake. Her ear was rewarded with a loud snore instead. With a soft giggle, she backed away from the door. She took the invitation and slid it through the gap at the bottom of the door. Satisfied that Rainbow Dash would find it, she took to the air again, making her way back to the bakery.

She made a lazy circle around the top of Sugar Cube Corner to slow her decent, coming to a landing on the side of the building. She made her way around to the front door and walked in.

"Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy jumped, before cowering in the corner near the door.

"Oh, when am ah gonna learn not to do that?" Applejack shook her head as she got up.

Fluttershy managed to get back to her feet by the time Applejack walked over to her. "Good morning, Applejack. What brings you here?"

"You, actually. I want to talk, if you're not busy."

"Oh, no, I'm not busy. I know I said I needed to talk to you, and I think I can now. Would you like to sit down again?"

"Sure." They both made their way back to the table that Applejack had been seated at. After getting comfortable, Fluttershy continued.

"I'm sorry I didn't just tell you what was going on when I saw you last, although it may have been for the best that I waited."

Applejack gave her a slightly confused look.

"After Twilight and Rarity visited the other day and told us they were a couple, I started thinking that maybe I would like to try dating a mare too."

"That's nice and all, but what's that got to do with me."

Fluttershy lowered her voice even more. "I was thinking about asking you."

"Really?"

"Yes, but after I thought about it some more, and spent some time talking to Pinkie, I realized I couldn't do it. I do love you Applejack… but more like a sister."

"Ah'm, well… flattered! I'm kinda glad you didn't ask though. I'm not into mares… that way. It would have been really hard for me to tell you that had you asked."

They both smiled before Applejack continued.

"Part of me does wish you had told me though. I'm not gonna think any differently of you."

"I know. It's just that I didn't know how to bring it up. I'm still trying to figure out who I want to ask." Fluttershy's voice trailed off, and she glanced at the kitchen.

"What?" Applejack looked at the kitchen door. "Did ya hear something?"

"Oh, no, just… thinking." Fluttershy turned her head back to Applejack.

A little light bulb went off in Applejack's head, but she decided not to act on it. "I see. Well, ah better be getting back to the farm. Big Mac offered to pull my weight for me this morning so I could talk to you. I don't want to make him do any more of my work than necessary. It was good to see you again, and I'm glad we got to talk. You know you can talk to me anytime. You're always welcome at the farm."

"Thank you, Applejack. I promise I won't worry you like this again."

Applejack waived as she headed out the door. Fluttershy made her way to the kitchen door, knocking before she opened it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Fluttershy! You're just in time to help me made cupcakes!"

Mr. and Mrs. Cake both smiled at her as she made her way into the kitchen.

It was midday when the carriage rolled up to the front of the library.

"Mom, dad, welcome to my…" Twilight corrected herself as she looked at Rarity. "I mean, _our_ home." She smiled as she finished her sentence, still in love with the idea that she was no longer single. She was the first pony out of the carriage when the door was opened, and immediately made for the front door to unlock it. "I can't believe this is the first time you've been here! We should have done this a lot sooner."

Mr. Sparkle went around to the back of the carriage with Spike to offload the luggage. Mrs. Sparkle and Rarity followed Twilight into the library.

"Oh, Sparky, this is a very nice place you have." Mrs. Sparkle started wandering around the first floor.

"Would you like the tour?" Twilight chuckled.

"Most definitely dear, but let's wait for you father."

"Okay, I'll go make us some tea."

"Twilight, darling, let me do that. Spend some time showing you mother around the main part of the library." Rarity gave her a gentle nudge on the flank, before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Okay, I guess I'm showing you the library then." Twilight smiled as she led her mother through the multitude of bookshelves. It wasn't long before they stumbled across the little corner that Rarity had set up shop in.

"I'm assuming this is Rarity's?"

"Yes. I really wish I could have made more space for her to work in."

Mrs. Sparkle caught sight of the dress that Twilight had made, hung up on one of the clothing racks. "She made this? It's quite pretty."

"Um, actually, I made that… with her help." Twilight started blushing.

"You… wow, Sparky. If I had known you had the talent for sewing, I would have made you hem your own dresses."

"Mom!"

"I'm just kidding, dear. This is very good though. I'm impressed."

They heard the luggage being dragged into the library, so they made their way back to the front.

"Just leave them near the door. I'll help you carry them to the inn when you're ready" Twilight said, as she used her magic to take one of the suitcases off of Spike's hands.

"Thanks, Twilight." Spike smiled as he dragged the other suitcase he was carrying over to the corner.

Shortly after the luggage was piled, Rarity came out with the tea set. They all gathered around the table in the middle of the library. Rarity poured everyone a cup of tea, except Spike. She knew he wouldn't drink it. Instead, she used her magic to pull out a gem she had hidden behind her mane while she was in the kitchen, and floated it over to him.

After the tea, Twilight and Rarity gave her parents the full tour of the place. Afterwards, they went outside to show them where Rarity's shop used to be. The foundation was now completely gone, as was all the debris. All that remained was a hole in the ground where the foundation had been.

"I have a few pictures of what it used to look like back at the library." Twilight nuzzled Rarity, knowing it still had to be hard to look at the vacant lot. "Maybe you'd like to look at them later?"

"That would be nice, Sparky. We'd love to see what it used to look like." Mrs. Sparkle turned to look into the center of town. "But for now, I'd like to see the rest of Ponyville… if that's okay?"

"Certainly! Maybe we'll be able to introduce you to some of our other friends as well."

"Actually, Twilight," Rarity stepped closer to her. "I think I'm going to go see my sister. I want to let her know that things are all right… and I still need to tell her about us."

"I understand. Meet you back at the library?"

"That sounds good. I'll make sure to make it back before dinner."

"I was thinking of taking my parents out to dinner, with you of course."

"I'd like that." Rarity gave her a quick kiss, before heading to Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight spent the rest of the afternoon showing Ponyville to her parents, introducing them to Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and the Cake family at Sugar Cube Corner.

Rarity enjoyed the walk to Sweet Apple Acres, taking the time to take in the scenery and relax. It was a welcome change to the whirlwind pace of the past couple of days. However, the closer she got to the farm, her mind started to fill with worry again. She knew she needed to tell Sweetie Belle about Twilight, but wasn't sure how best to broach the subject. Deciding she could use a little advice, she decided to hunt down Applejack first, being her only friend with a sister the same age as hers. She knew that Applejack would be out in the fields somewhere, but it could take hours to try to hunt her down alone. Rather than waste her time wandering aimlessly in the hopes of stumbling across her friend, she opted to talk to Granny Smith first. She politely knocked on the door of the farm house, and patiently waited for the elderly pony to answer the door. It took a few minutes, but the sound of hooves slowly making their way across the hardwood floor could be heard approaching the door.

"Well, hello ther Rarity. What brings ya out to the farm today? Ya looking for Sweetie Belle?"

"I will need to find her sometime today, yes, but I need to talk to Applejack first. Do you know where I can find her?"

"I believe the youngins are working the south fields today. Is everything okay?" Concern showed on Granny Smith's face.

"Oh, everything is fine… wonderful actually. I just need to get some advice from Applejack, that's all." She paused for a moment. "I hope Sweetie Belle hasn't been causing you too much trouble."

"Quite the opposite, actually. She's been very helpful, and has been keeping Applebloom out of Applejack's mane. Things have been rather peaceful since she came to stay."

"Well, I can't say I was expecting to hear that… but I am relieved that she's not wearing out her welcome. It really meant a lot to me that you opened your home to her… to both of us. If I didn't feel such a need to keep an eye on the rebuilding of the store, I probably would have come to stay as well. Then again, I may not have… well, that's a story for another time. Thank you, for everything."

"Anytime, dearie. You run along now. I have a rocking chair callin me." Granny Smith gave her a little smile, before closing the door.

Rarity made her way towards the south fields. It didn't take her long to find Applejack and Big Macintosh, who were busy repairing a section of weather worn fence.

"Hello, Big Mac. Do you mind if I borrow your sister for a few minutes?"

"Nnnope."

"Hey ther, Rarity. Come to see Sweetie Belle?"

"Yes, I have… but there's something I need to talk to you about first."

"Okay." Applejack looked over to her brother. "I'm gonna take a little walk with Rarity. I promise I'll be back soon."

Rarity started to walk towards a denser section of the orchard. Applejack followed. Rarity waited until she was certain that Applejack was the only pony within earshot, before turning around and continuing their conversation.

"I know I have to tell Sweetie Belle about my relationship with Twilight, but I'm just not sure how to go about doing it."

"Ah see. How do you think she's gonna react?"

"That's the problem. I have no clue. It's not a topic that's ever come up before, so I don't know if she's formed an opinion about this sort of relationship or not."

Unbeknownst to Rarity, Sweetie Belle had seen her coming to the farm, and thought it would be fun to shadow her sister. Applebloom was quick to agree, so the two fillies had stalked Rarity around the farm, and were now hidden inside a log, just behind the tree that Rarity was standing next to. Realizing this was a serious conversation, and that she was part of it, she tried to sneak closer to hear more clearly. Applebloom tried to protest, but knew she couldn't raise her voice, lest they both be discovered. She managed to slip, unnoticed, behind the trunk of the tree.

"Well, she is old enough to notice this sorta thing. Heck, look what she and the other crusaders did to Miss Cheerilee and Big Mac. Having her sister be in a romantic relationship shouldn't be too much of a surprise."

"A romantic relationship, yes… but with another mare? That's the part that has me concerned. I love my little sister, even if I'm not always good at showing it. I'm afraid of driving her away with this."

"I don't think you're giving Sweetie Belle enough credit. She ain't gonna stop wantin to be your sister just because you've fallen in love with Twilight."

Sweetie Belle's eye became as large as saucers. She was used to her sister fawning over the idea of romance. That was nothing new... but with Twilight Sparkle! She sat and pondered just how she felt about this. She had heard about mare/mare couples before… and the unfortunate bullying that seemed to come with it. She hadn't given enough thought to the topic to form an opinion of her own. Now she was faced with a member of her family admitting to being in such a relationship. She needed to talk to her sister, just so she could maybe get a better understanding as to why.

"Rarity." Sweetie Belle walked out from behind the tree trunk.

"Sweetie Belle! How long have you been there?"

"I heard everything… well, enough anyway. I'm not mad, but I would like to talk about it. I have to admit, I'm a little confused."

"Can ah listen?" Applebloom crawled out of the log.

"Applebloom! What have ah told you about eavesdropping?" Applejack glared at her sister.

"Ah'm sorry! Ah was just playin with Sweetie Belle, seeing how long we could follow Rarity before she noticed us. We didn't mean to hear yer conversation." Applebloom cowered under her sister's glare.

"Applejack, maybe she should listen… unless you think she's still too young to hear it." Rarity waited for Applejack to reply, her head tilted slightly to the side.

Applejack pondered for a moment. "Ah suppose you're right… but Ah'd like to be there too, if'n it's okay with you."

"I understand. I don't mind." Rarity sat down, facing her sister. Applebloom walked up next to Applejack, and they both sat to listen.

"Now, where should I begin?" Rarity lay down so she could look at her sister at her eye level, still careful to not get her coat, mane, or tail muddy. "Maybe it'd just be better to answer your questions? I can fill in any blanks I feel are left out."

"I guess. Why Twilight? I always thought you wanted to be with some rich stallion, or something like that." Sweetie Belle's head tilted a little to the right.

"That's a really good question… and for a long time, that was what I wanted, more or less. However, after the fiasco at the Grand Galloping Gala with Prince Blueblood, I wasn't sure anymore. I started to question just what it was that I was looking for in a perspective partner, and that, I will now admit, included other mares. I hadn't considered Twilight as a perspective partner, although why, I'm not sure. She is a very beautiful mare, even if she does insist on looking the part of a bookworm." She chuckled a little, and caught Applejack smiling out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not sure that I ever would have seen Twilight as a dating possibility if she hadn't asked me. I feel shallow, now that I've said that out loud. I never took the time to see past her as just a friend." A single tear made its way down her cheek.

Sweetie Belle reached up and gently wiped the tear away. "So, you're happy with Twilight, right?"

Rarity quickly composed herself before answering. "Oh, most definitely! She's funny, _very_ smart, well-traveled…" Rarity paused for a moment, unsure she wanted to continue. "And I do find her attractive."

"Do you mean attractive as in pretty, or something else? The way you just said that, I can't tell." Sweetie Belle's head was now leaning to the left.

"Both actually, but the latter is not something I feel you or Applebloom are ready for yet."

"But Rarity!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison.

"No, Rarity's right. You're just not old enough to be worrying about that sorta thing yet. I promise, when you are, we'll take the time to explain further." Applejack gave her sister an affectionate nuzzle.

"Aren't you worried about what other ponies are gonna think about you?"

"The only pony's opinions that I care about are yours, Twilight's, and my friends. I still want to be a part of high society and make a name for myself, and I'm not about to let my preference in ponies stop me. It's not as uncommon an occurrence as you may think. Of course, it probably doesn't hurt that Princess Celestia seems to have taken a liking to us either." Rarity let a big smile escape at that thought. "I just hope I never hurt Twilight and invoke the princess's wrath."

Sweetie Belle sat and pondered for a moment, but could not think of anything else she wanted to ask. Taking advantage of the lull, Rarity decided to throw one more tidbit out that she thought would catch Sweetie Belle's attention. "Who knows… maybe if this works out between Twilight and I, you just might end up with Twilight as a step-sister."

"Really!" That would be so cool!"

"Tell you what. I know I haven't been giving you as much attention as I should when it comes to your magical education. I'll talk to Twilight later, and maybe we can give you a few lessons together?"

"Just the three of us!"

"Just the three of us."

Sweetie Belle jumped up and nearly bowled Rarity over with her enthusiastic hug. They held each other like that for a few minutes, before slowly separating. "I'm happy for you, Rarity."

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. It means a lot to me that you support my relationship."

"Of course, that's what sisters are for!"

Applejack left to go finish working on the fence. Rarity spent a little more time at the farm, just walking around and talking with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. When she noticed that the sun was getting low on the horizon, she made her fair wells, gave Sweetie Belle another big hug, and started to make her way back toward the library.

Much to Fluttershy's surprise, she was having a lot of fun. Pinkie and the Cakes had shown her several recipes she'd never tried before. Pinkie and Fluttershy had both gotten completely covered in flour during an impromptu food fight. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so much. It wasn't until she looked at the clock that she panicked.

"Oh no!"

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?"

"I have to go… now! I haven't fed the animals their dinner yet and it's almost sundown."

"I'll come with you" Pinkie offered.

"Oh Pinkie, you've already done so much for me today. I couldn't possibly ask you to do this too."

"Nonsense, I insist! And don't even try to argue with me. I'm the queen of nonsense after all, so I'm going to recognize it when I see it." Pinkie had a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you, Pinkie. We'd better get going."

Fluttershy quickly thanked the Cakes for letting her join them, then the two mares bolted out the door, leaving a cloud of flour in their wake. As they passed the library, they saw Rarity walking in and yelled hi. She nodded back before closing the door behind her. A few minutes later, and they were at Fluttershy's front door. She opened it, and immediately got pelted with a carrot.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Angel. I know I'm late. I'll go get your dinner right away."

Fluttershy disappeared into her kitchen. Pinkie Pie took a few moments to look around before following.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Umm, let me think. Can you feed the chickens? The feed is in the shed on the side."

"Yes ma'am." Pinkie gave her a quick salute before taking off. Fluttershy giggled.

'Pinkie really is so much fun to be around. I wonder why I've never spent more time with her like this before.' She quickly got lost in making everyone's dinner. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Pinkie come back in a few minutes later.

Pinkie didn't say a word. All the cooking they had done earlier, and here Fluttershy was, cranking out one meal after another, flawlessly. For one of the few moments in her life, Pinkie was speechless. She simply sat down and watch Fluttershy, the master chef, work her magic.

It wasn't until Fluttershy turned around that she noticed Pinkie. She squeaked, and nearly dropped several dishes, but managed to keep them stable.

"Sorry, Fluttershy. I was going to ask you if you needed anything else done, but you were just so incredible, I had to just watch. Can I help you carry some of those?"

A little blush snuck up on Fluttershy's cheeks. "Oh, I don't think I was doing anything special." She passed two of the trays to Pinkie and showed her where they needed to go.

"Fluttershy, that was amazing. I've seen short order cooks that can't move that fast, and I guarantee their food doesn't taste as good either."

"Would you mind if I make something for both of us after we're done then? You don't have to if you don't want too, of course." Fluttershy disappeared behind her mane when she finished speaking.

Pinkie placed a hoof gently under Fluttershy's chin and lifted it up a little. "I'd like that."

After finishing with the animals, Fluttershy and Pinkie spent the rest of the evening over a wonderfully cooked meal and some small conversation, mainly just trying to get to know each other a little better. Pinkie thanked Fluttershy for the wonderful meal and company, before saying goodbye and heading home.

"Oh good, Rarity, you're back. We were starting to get a little hungry."

"Sorry, Twilight, I ended up taking a little longer with my sister than I had planned. That reminds me, I need to talk to you about her later… nothing bad, I promise."

"Okay, I'd like that. Would you mind giving me a hand with the luggage? We're going to get my parents checked into the inn before we go eat."

"Oh, of course, darling."

Each of the unicorns carried enough of the luggage with their magic so that Spike would only have to carry two light bags by hand. The inn was a few doors past Bon Bon's sweet shop, so it didn't take them too long to get there. After turning the luggage over to the innkeeper's staff, they finished checking in. Spike, Rarity, and Twilight waited patiently downstairs for her parents to finish getting settled in. A few minutes later, they were on their way to the restaurant for dinner. They found a nice family restaurant near the center of town, and decided to eat outside since the weather was still nice.

"You almost can't tell anything happened here. They have done a very nice job of cleaning the town up." Mrs. Sparkle gazed around at the park and the several buildings that surrounded them. "You both have picked a lovely place to live. If it wasn't for the fact that there is no way we could make the trip to work from here, I'd be tempted to move myself."

"Thanks, Mom. I'm glad you like it."

"Mrs. Sparkle, what do you like here the most?" Rarity asked.

"The ponies… and the quiet. It's a much slower pace out here. It's very easy to get sucked into the excitement of the city, but having to live there isn't always much of a picnic."

"But I thought you were happy living there. Why don't you move if you don't like it?"

"Because we can't find the jobs we do out here. Not that I wouldn't consider a job change to live here, but I can't imagine there are too many job opening in such a small town. Not to mention your father does love his job. I couldn't force him to leave. Maybe when we're older and ready to slow down, but for now, we're content to stay where we are."

"Then, maybe I can talk you into coming to visit us more often? It would be an excuse to get to know the area… and maybe make some friends." Twilight gave both her parents a hug. "Will you do that?"

"Now that sounds like a great plan, Sparky." Mr. Sparkle nuzzled his daughter. "I think we can manage that much for now."

They spent the rest of the meal telling Rarity about what they had seen of Ponyville that day, and the silly pink pony they met. Rarity started to churn out ideas of what she wanted to do with the new shop, along with a few additions for a certain purple pony. After dinner, they parted ways. Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle returned to the inn for some much needed rest. Spike, Rarity, and Twilight went back to the library. As the rest went inside, Twilight checked the mailbox.

"Um, Rarity, you have a letter." Twilight brought the mail inside, levitating the letter for Rarity directly to her.

"I wonder who it's from." Rarity took the letter in her magical grip and turned it to read the return address. "It's from a hotel in Manehattan. Oh, maybe it's from my parents."

"I've been meaning to ask you where they were. I haven't seen them for a while."

"They are celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary. They decided to take a two week trip to Manehattan." Rarity opened the letter and skimmed through the contents. "It looks like they got my letter. That was fast. Remind me to thank Derpy the next time I see her." She continued to read the rest of the note quietly. When she finished, she took a seat on the sofa and looked at Twilight. "They're coming home early. Mom says that Dad is too worried about the house to enjoy himself, and she wants to see her daughters. They're heading back tonight, by carriage. She thinks they will be here some time tomorrow morning."

"I'm sorry to hear that they couldn't enjoy their trip anymore. Somepony really needs to go tell those hydras off. They've made such a mess of things."

Spike, having disappeared into the kitchen when they first walked in, popped back out with a fresh pot of tea. Twilight sat down next to Rarity and they both enjoyed a cup. As a thank you, Twilight used her magic to levitate three gems from a hiding place in the kitchen and dropped them in Spike's hands. After thanking her, Spike took a seat and started chowing down.

"Oh, we still need to figure out where Spike is going to sleep." Twilight put her cup down and started slowly looking around the library. Seeing the door to the basement, she walked over and headed downstairs. Curiosity got the better of the other two, and they eventually followed her when she didn't come back up. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they saw Twilight with half her body through another door.

"Twilight, dear, what are you doing?" Rarity slowly approached her from behind. Spike remained at the bottom of the stairs, deciding to stay well out of Twilight's way until he could figure out what she was up too.

"Rarity, do you think this room would be big enough if I can find a place to put this stuff?" She disappeared a little further into the doorway.

Rarity tried to find room to squeeze next to her to get a better view, but couldn't. Instead, she carefully raised the front half of herself onto Twilight's back so she could look over her instead. "What _is_ all this stuff?"

"This is the overflow storage for the library. Books and items that belong to the library or town, but either are not needed in circulation or just have no need to be displayed. Old tax records, building codes, and stuff like that ends up down here. Spike and I went through it once shortly after we moved in, and made sure that what was down here belonged here. Even I have to admit skimming through some of this stuff was quite boring." She chuckled, and was rewarded with a cloud of dust. After a brief coughing fit, they both backed out of the room.

Twilight opened the other storage room door, and started calculating just how much could be moved from the one room to the other. "I think most of this will fit, but not all of it. Let's get as much moved as we can, and see what we end up with. Spike, can you go upstairs and gather up your bed and anything else you would like in your new room?"

Spike rapidly disappeared up the stairs. Rarity helped Twilight transfer as much of the contents of the one room out into the other storage room. When they could not possibly fit anything else into the other storage room, they closed the door and began to stack the remaining items next to it. By the time Spike got all of his belongings down the stairs, his new room was empty. Rarity had even used a quick spell to gather all the dust and expel it from the library. Twilight made a note to ask Rarity to teach her that one someday. After bringing Spike's bed and other belongings into the room, Twilight and Rarity watched as Spike began to organize it.

"Spike, do you need any help?" Twilight asked.

"No, I'm good. This room is great, Twilight. Thanks!"

"I know there isn't much light down here right now. I'll see what I can do about that later. I guess we'll leave you alone then. You know where to find us if you need anything."

They lingered for another moment or two, until Spike started to shoo them up the stairs, laughing the entire way.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Twilight closed the door, but left it open just a crack. "I can't believe how fast he's grown."

"I know what you mean. I still can't believe how mature Sweetie Belle is becoming."

The two ponies shared a smile, before heading upstairs to their own room. Twilight extinguished the lights along the way. Rarity popped into the bathroom briefly, so Twilight was the first to climb into bed. She turned and sat on the bed, facing the door, patiently waiting for Rarity to join her. She didn't have to wait long. Rarity entered the doorway, but stopped, with a coy grin on her face. Twilight didn't have a chance to ask her what she was thinking. The next thing she knew, she was on her back, with Rarity straddled over her, their mouths entwined in a deep kiss. They remained that way for a while, their bodies slowly pulling closer together, the occasional moan escaping. Rarity eventually broke the kiss, instead slowly running her tongue down the side of Twilight's neck. She started to pepper Twilight with kisses on her chest as she kept inching her way down her body. Twilight was blushing heavily and had a hoof up to her lips now, trying to stifle her moans. As Rarity reached her stomach, she hesitated, glancing up to catch Twilight's eyes. Twilight was starting to panic a little, knowing full well where this was going, but didn't say anything. Rarity was quite nervous herself, having never done this with another mare. She started to move further down, when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up to see Twilight staring at her, full blown panic on her face. "I… I can't, Rarity. I want to… but I just can't." Rarity pulled herself back up, and held Twilight in a loving embrace. "I'm just not ready." Twilight started to cry.

"Shh, darling, it's alright. I should have asked you if you were ready before I started. Honestly, I'm nervous too."

"Really?" Twilight backed out of the embrace enough to be able to see Rarity's face.

"Definitely. I've never done this with a mare, remember. I barely have a clue as to what I'm doing. If I had gone any further, I would have been completely guessing."

Twilight stopped crying, and gave Rarity a tiny smile. "When we're both ready then." She leaned forward and kissed her. "I promise I won't make you wait too long."

Rarity slid off of Twilight and pulled her close. "I love you, Twilight."

"I love you, too, Rarity"

They fell asleep in each other's embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Spike woke up in his new bedroom for the first time. He was quite disoriented at first, especially with the lack of light in the room, but it didn't take him long to remember where he was. Since there were only so many changes in his life he could handle, he decided to continue with his normal morning routine, which began with getting a pot of coffee started for when Twilight woke up and getting breakfast going. He headed upstairs and opened the door to the basement. He proceeded towards the kitchen, the smell of coffee catching his attention as he got closer. He discovered Rarity sitting at the kitchen table, a fresh pot of coffee on the counter, and a cup in Rarity's magical grasp.

"Good morning, Spike." Rarity said, almost not loud enough to be heard.

"Morning, Rarity. I wasn't expecting you to be up already. Is Twilight up also?" Spike asked.

"No. I'm pretty sure Pinkie couldn't wake her right now. That trip to Canterlot took a lot more out of us than we were willing to admit. I've been getting up late the past few days, so I figured it's about time I start trying to resume my normal schedule… although I'm having a hard time getting myself going this morning." Rarity sighed as she stared at her partially emptied cup of coffee. "I've really got to introduce Twilight to some better coffee. This stuff is quite harsh."

"Twilight actually likes it that way… helps to kick start her brain she says." Spike laughed a little to himself, picturing how Twilight would stagger around the library until she managed to get that first cup of coffee down.

"Oh, I can imagine. Especially when you consider how late she normally stays up with her nose in her books." Rarity chuckled lightly.

"Well, I'm going to start breakfast. Any requests?" Spike asked, as he started putting his apron on.

"Oh, I'll have whatever it is that you would normally make for Twilight. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." Rarity got up and headed out of the kitchen, the cup of coffee floating over her back as she exited. Her head briefly popped back through the door. "Thank you for making breakfast for us."

Spike smiled before turning back to his cooking. "No problem, Rarity."

Rarity wandered over to her little nook. She sat down, slowing taking stock of what she had to work with. She had just taken up a little sketch pad when she heard a knock at the front door. 'I wonder who that could be' she pondered as she made her way to the door. She saw Spike peak his head out of the kitchen just as she reached for the door knob.

"Welcome to Carou… oh, wait, I mean." She never did finish her sentence, as she found herself enveloped in a hug from her mother.

Pinkie woke up early as usual. She quickly shook her mane out and headed downstairs to join Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who were getting the kitchen prepared for the morning rush. While pulling a few mixing bowls out, she paused, looking out a nearby window. Mr. and Mrs. Cake noticed that she had stopped, and looked at her with concern in their eyes, as any pause from this particular mare was almost always reason to be concerned.

"Pinkie, dear, are you okay?" Mrs. Cake placed a hoof gently on Pinkie's shoulder.

Snapping back to reality, Pinkie looked over her shoulder at Mrs. Cake. "I'm alright. I was just thinking about somepony." She smiled and went back to work.

A small, knowing smile crossed Mrs. Cake's lips. "Anypony we know dear?"

"Um, yes. You know her." A pale blush tinted Pinkie's cheeks, barely noticeable against her naturally pink coat.

"Well, are you going to tell us who you were thinking about?" Mrs. Cake was so surprised that the normally talkative pony was suddenly being so coy.

In a manner so uncharacteristic of Pinkie, she whispered, "Fluttershy." At this point, her blush had deepened so much that it was blatantly obvious, despite her coat color.

"Who dear? Why are you being so quiet?" Mrs. Cake moved closer to Pinkie in the hope of understanding her if she managed to speak up a second time.

In a slightly louder whisper, Pinkie repeated herself. "Fluttershy."

"Really?! When did this start?" Mrs. Cake had grasped Pinkie's face, gently squeezing her cheeks together. Mr. Cake, recognizing that Pinkie was obviously uncomfortable, tapped his wife on the shoulder.

"Cup, dear, maybe you should just let her be for now? I'm sure Pinkie will tell us more when she's ready."

"But," was all Mrs. Cake managed to get out, before she saw the seriousness on her husband's face. Realizing that he was right, Mrs. Cake let Pinkie go and went back to work.

Mr. Cake gave Pinkie a gentle nuzzle. "When you're ready to talk, we'll be happy to listen."

Pinkie turned and gave him a little smile and a hug, then returned to work.

Fluttershy woke up quite flustered. She had several vivid dreams that night, and they all involved Pinkie… some a little more intimate than she ever believed herself capable of imagining. While she would normally wait to take a shower until after she had done all her morning chores, she desperately felt the need to take a cold shower, _now_! Once the warm feelings in her cheeks, chest, and much to her dismay, between her legs, had disappeared, she got out of the shower and continued with her normal morning routine. She occasionally caught herself looking towards the center of Ponyville, knowing that Pinkie was likely busy at work and probably wasn't thinking about her at all.

Fluttershy let out a long sigh, almost bordering on a groan. "I wonder if I should tell her how she made me feel yesterday?" She wrapped up her morning chores, before sitting down on her couch to think. "Maybe Rarity and Twilight are home now. I wonder if they'd be able to help me sort this out."

Settling on that idea, she made a quick check around the house to make sure she hadn't forgotten to do anything. Satisfied, she started to make her way into town.

Rarity was still reeling when her mother let her go. "Mother! I wasn't expecting you to get back so early!"

"Well, dear, we greased the carriage ponies hooves a little to make sure they got us home as soon as possible. Are you okay? You're not hurt are you? Is Sweetie Belle alright?" Crystal Belle was hovering all over her daughter, looking for any sign of injury.

"Mother, I'm fine. I was nowhere near the shop when the damage happened. Sweetie Belle is fine as well. She is staying with Apple Bloom and her family until I could make better arrangements. Oh, where are my manners. Please, come in."

"You seem to be taking this better than I thought you would." Rarity's father gave her a brief hug as he entered. "I thought for sure we'd find you a complete wreck."

"Magnum! Don't mind him, dear, he's just a little grumpy because we haven't had breakfast yet." Crystal Belle shot him a disapproving glance. "Although, I must agree that you do seem quite calm and collected."

"Well, I have my friends to thank for that. If it hadn't been for their support, I probably would be a mess. Twilight in particular has really gone far beyond what I would have expected of her. Letting me stay here, helping with the paperwork to get the store rebuilt… I don't know what I would have done without her. Actually, when she wakes up, I do have something I'd like to talk to you two about. Of course, if you are too busy, it can wait for another time."

"I would like to get some breakfast, check up on the house, and go see Sweetie Belle. With us home now, there is no need for her to stay with the Apples any longer." Magnum turned to head back out the door.

Spike had remained quiet as he observed the family reunion, but being around Rarity so much, he had picked up a few pointers on being a good host. "I'm actually in the process of making breakfast now. If you'd like to join us, it's no trouble."

"Oh Spike, that's so generous of you. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

Magnum briefly looked at Spike, then Rarity. "I think I'll pass. We'll just grab something from Sugarcube Corner on the way home." He was about to walk out the door, before he paused. "Why don't you come to our place for dinner tonight? Bring Twilight Sparkle and Spike with you. It's the least we can do to show our thanks." He then made his way out the door. "Crystal, you coming?"

"One moment, dear." Crystal Belle quickly enveloped her daughter in another hug. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you have good friends to help you though. I'm looking forward to meeting Twilight tonight. I've never really gotten a chance to talk to her. How does six sound?"

"That sounds great, mother. Thank you." Rarity gave her mother a little nuzzle before letting go.

As Crystal Belle made her way out the door, Fluttershy was making her way up to the library.

"Good morning, Mrs. Belle. I hope you're doing well." Fluttershy gave her a warm smile.

"Fluttershy, so good to see you again! I'm doing quite well. I wish I could stay and chat, but Magnum's stomach isn't going to wait much longer. Do come by sometime." Crystal Belle waved before scurrying to catch up to her husband.

"Good morning, Fluttershy. It's been too long, darling. Please, come in." Rarity stepped out of the entrance to let Fluttershy by. "You've probably already eaten, but please join us for coffee?"

Just then, Fluttershy's stomach rumbled. She quickly blushed. "Um, actually, I forgot to eat. I was kinda distracted this morning. That's why I came here. I'd like to talk to you and Twilight… that is, if you're not busy."

"Oh, then I insist you join us for breakfast." Rarity turned to face Spike. "Spike, darling, would you be so kind as to make enough for Fluttershy also."

Spike gave a quick salute, and a smile, before disappearing back into the kitchen. Rarity grabbed the pot of coffee and two empty coffee cups and levitated them into the living room. She filled one cup, leaving the other one empty until Twilight woke up. She then levitated her cup from her work area and sat down on the sofa, patting the cushion for Fluttershy to join her. "I'm afraid Twilight is not awake yet, but you can talk to me if you want."

"Actually, I am awake. Good morning, Fluttershy." Twilight was slowly making her way down the stairs, her eyes half open. "With all the talking down here, I couldn't stay asleep."

Rarity quickly filled the remaining empty cup and sent it over to Twilight, who gratefully took possession of it. "I'm sorry about that, dear. My parents just arrived. I did not realize we were being so loud."

Twilight took a sip of her coffee, her ears perking up from the familiar taste. "That's okay. I should have been up by now anyway. It's not like I stayed up all night. I'm sorry I missed them. You should have woken me up."

"Well, they did not stay very long, but they did invite you and Spike to dinner tonight. I hope that is alright with you." Rarity waited patiently for Twilight's mind to process the question and come up with an answer.

"I don't see why we couldn't do that. I would like to spend some time with my parents today, before they have to go home." Twilight settled in on the other side of Rarity, gently leaning against her. "So, Fluttershy, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit this morning?"

"Um, well, that is…" Fluttershy trailed off as she thought of what she wanted to say.

"Dear, are you okay?" Rarity gently placed a hoof onto one of Fluttershy's, causing the pegasus to jump slightly.

"Oh, yes, I'm okay. Just a little nervous I guess." She glanced over to Rarity. Twilight had just finished getting onto the couch and was cuddling against Rarity with a soft smile on her face. Rarity gave Twilight a gentle nuzzle to her cheek before returning her attention to Fluttershy. "Seeing you two get together got me thinking that I would like a special somepony too. I started thinking about what kind of pony I would like to be with, and at first I thought that pony might be Applejack."

Rarity gasped. "Really?! I never saw that one coming. Have you talked to her yet?"

Twilight finally decided to become more involved in the conversation as the effects of the caffeine finally reached her brain. "I always thought Applejack wasn't interested in dating… too busy with the farm and all."

"She also not interested in mares either, as it turns out." Fluttershy added.

"Oh no, you poor dear!" Rarity quickly enveloped Fluttershy in a hug.

"Oh, Rarity, it's not what you think. I never asked her out. Since I couldn't talk to you or Twilight about it, and Rainbow Dash just is not the type of pony to try to have this kind of conversation with, I ended up talking things over with Pinkie Pie."

"Wait, you had a serious discussion about relationships with Pinkie?" The look of surprise on Twilight's face was enough to make Fluttershy snicker. The fact that Rarity's jaw had hit the floor made her openly laugh, leaning against the back of the couch for support.

It took a moment for Rarity to collect herself. "Twilight, dear. I think Fluttershy just pranked us."

Hearing this, Fluttershy collected herself as quickly as she could manage, getting back up to a seated position. "Actually, that wasn't a joke. Surely you've noticed that Pinkie can be very insightful sometimes, if not in a traditional way. She made me think about how I felt about Applejack, and I came to realize that she's more like a sister to me than anything else. I ran into Applejack shortly after talking to Pinkie and I told her what was going on. In the end, we were both relieved. For a while, she was beginning to think I was mad at her. It was during that conversation that I found out she isn't interested in mares."

"I see. So then, if everything is resolved between you and Applejack, what did you need to talk to us about?" As Twilight finished asking this, Rarity leaned closer to Fluttershy.

"You've found somepony haven't you!" Rarity declared, nearly bouncing off the sofa.

"Maybe… I'm not sure. I've never felt like this about another pony before, especially one of my friends."

"Woah, hold on. One of our friends?" Now both Twilight and Rarity we're teetering on the edge of the sofa.

"Um, yes?" Fluttershy quickly ducked under her mane from the scrutiny her friends were giving her.

Twilight and Rarity glanced at each other. Rarity spoke up first. "Well, we know it's not you or I, and she just ruled out Applejack. The only two ponies left are Rainbow Dash and Pinkie."

They turned their gazes back to Fluttershy, only to find that she had gotten off the sofa and backed herself as far into the nearest corner that she could find. Her attempts to continue backing up had put her rump partway up the wall. "Oh Fluttershy, do calm down. We know it's one or the other, and I'm guessing it's Rainbow Dash. You've known her the longest and have always been close. Am I right?" Rarity had gotten off the sofa while she had been talking, and had walked up to Fluttershy, stopping a pony's length away to make sure Fluttershy didn't feel crowded. Twilight had done the same, stopping next to Rarity.

Fluttershy peaked out under her mane and slowly shook her head, bringing her rump back down the wall, but remaining crouched low to the floor.

"No? But that just leaves…" Rarity was left speechless. Twilight was in no better state. Yes, Pinkie was a dear friend to them both, but neither had ever thought of her as dating material. They had most definitely not seen Fluttershy falling for her.

Fluttershy slowly began to inch her way towards the front door. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'll just go now." She made a wild dash for the door the second she finished speaking.

She almost made it to, had Twilight not snapped out of shock in time to envelope her in a levitation spell and bringing her back over to them. Turning her around, she deposited her on the floor gently, releasing most of her magical hold, but keeping a gentle grasp on her tail in case she tried to bolt again. "Fluttershy, we're not upset. Confused, definitely, but not upset. Look, it's not our place to judge who you fall in love with… and Pinkie is a dear friend to all of us. I just never thought of you two getting together, that's all. I'm pretty sure the same goes for Rarity."

Twilight gave Rarity a gentle nudge on the shoulder, which was enough to snap Rarity out of her stupor. Rarity looked over to Fluttershy, but could only manage one word. "Pinkie?"

Fluttershy managed to find the strength to look Rarity in the eye, rising off the floor to a standing position. "Yes, Rarity. I have developed very strong feelings for Pinkie… and I think she might feel the same way."

There was a moment of silence as Rarity and Twilight pondered what to say. They looked at each other, Twilight nodded to Rarity and smiled, and then looked back at Fluttershy. Twilight spoke first. "You know, Rarity and I were quite nervous when we decided to tell you and the others about us. I don't want you to feel that way. If you think that being with Pinkie Pie will make you happy, then Rarity and I will do whatever we can to support you both, should you get together. Even if you don't, we'll still be there for both of you." Twilight and Rarity both stepped forward and gave Fluttershy a much needed hug.

"Thank you, both of you. I'm so glad I have friends like you." She backed out of the hug slowly. "But, how do I tell her? Yesterday was so magical for me and I want her to know how much it meant, but there is still a part of me that's afraid that she doesn't feel the same way. I don't want to lose her as a friend if I'm wrong."

"I understand where you're coming from, but sometimes you have to take a chance." Twilight pondered if there was really anything else she could tell Fluttershy that would be helpful.

"Idea!" Rarity was nearly bouncing like Pinkie, she was so excited.

"What, Rarity?" Fluttershy and Twilight asked in unison.

"The four of us are going to the spa… right now!"

"Huh? What does that have to do with…" and then Twilight knew exactly what Rarity was up to. "Rarity, that's perfect!"

"Um, I don't know what you two are talking about."

"Oh, sorry Fluttershy. Look, if we can observe you and Pinkie together in a relaxing environment, we may be able to get an idea of how she feels about you. If either Rarity or I can get her alone for a few minutes, maybe we can ask her discreetly. This way, we may be able to help you figure out whether to tell her how you feel or not!" Twilight smiled at Fluttershy. Rarity at this point had broken down into giddy squeals.

After they got Rarity to calm down, they settled down to a brief breakfast. Spike, having only caught bits and pieces of the conversation through the kitchen door, was shocked at how quickly the three mares inhaled their meals. After some discussion of what Twilight and Rarity would ask Pinkie, of which Spike was not included, they made their way over to Sugarcube Corner to pick up their unsuspecting friend.

Well, she would have been unsuspecting had it been anypony else. Pinkie, moments before, had her Pinkie Sense kick in with a rather complex combo that told her she was about to be marenapped by three of her friends and taken somewhere. This, unfortunately, also resulted in cake batter flying everywhere. She quickly asked the Cakes if she could wrap up early again. Mrs. Cake, suspecting this had something to do with Fluttershy, quickly agreed. "I want details when you get home!"

Pinkie blushed again, before exiting the kitchen and heading upstairs to clean herself up a little. 'I wonder what this is about?' She only had enough time to splash some water on her face and lick the cake batter off before she heard her friends come in. Drying off quickly, she made her way down the stairs to greet them. "So, where are we going?"

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight all balked. "How did you…" Rarity started to say before she remembered who it was she was talking to. "Nevermind. No big occasion. I just felt like treating my friends," she paused for a moment, glancing at Twilight, "and my lover to a spa treatment. Please tell me you can go?"

Twilight was blushing profusely from Rarity's comment. Fluttershy had a light tinge of pink on her cheeks, which Pinkie and Rarity both thought was adorable. Pinkie simply took it in stride. "Sure. This is gonna be fun!" Pinkie paused for moment. "What about Applejack and Rainbow Dash?

Rarity quickly came up with an excuse, which was likely the truth anyway. "Well, Applejack is simply too busy working at the moment to come along… and let's face it, Rainbow Dash will not willing put a single hoof in the spa if she can find a reason not to."

Pinkie nodded in agreement. The four friends wasted no time making their way over to the local spa. Lotus was working the front desk, and smiled as she saw Rarity and Fluttershy enter. Her ears perked up, and she tilted her head to the side just a little when Twilight followed closely behind them. However, when Pinkie came in directly behind Twilight, Lotus couldn't stop her ears from snapping flat against her head in concern. She managed to recover before any of them had noticed. "Welcome ladies. Rarity, Fluttershy, I wasn't expecting you until later in the week. What's the special occasion?"

"Oh, nothing really, Lotus. We just felt like we could use a little extra attention this week, all things considered. I hope you can squeeze us in?" Rarity asked.

"Actually, most of our regulars have canceled their appointments... too busy with repairs and other errands. Aloe and I were considering closing early today. Having the four of you show up at least made it worth opening. What can we do for you?" Lotus asked over her shoulder as she gathered a stack of towels from behind her.

Rarity looked at each of her friends, before turning to address Aloe with a smirk on her face. "The works, darling."

"Okay, Rarity, so the usual for you. What about your friends?" Aloe had turned back around and was making her way around the counter.

Before any of them could say anything, Rarity spoke up again. "I meant all of us, Aloe."

Aloe stopped mid step and stared at Rarity, her mouth moving to speak, but nothing came out. Eventually, she managed to squeak "All of you?"

"Yes." Rarity smiled at her.

"Rarity, you don't need to do that for us. The works is the most expensive treatment they do. I've never even done it before because of that." Twilight, despite knowing that her marefriend was the Element of Generosity, still had a hard time coming to grips with just how generous she could be at times.

"Nonsense, dear. I won't take no for an answer… and that means from any of you. I insist." Without waiting for her friends, Rarity made her way deeper into the spa.

"Well, we all know that there is no arguing with her when she gets this way. I guess we should follow her." Twilight turned from her friends to catch up with Rarity.

Pinkie and Fluttershy looked at each other briefly, each noticing a slight blush on the other's face. Before Pinkie could say anything though, Fluttershy had scampered after Twilight. Much to Aloe's surprise, Pinkie simply walked in to join her friends.

The four friends spent the next two hours gossiping and talking about what they had been up to since they had last spent time together. The entire time, Rarity was doing everything she could to discretely observe Pinkie and Fluttershy. When it came time for their relaxing dip in the hot tub, Rarity was almost certain that the attraction was mutual. She had caught them both sneaking glimpses at each other, and sometimes not just at each other's faces. They were almost always next to each other during the entire treatment, but always at that awkward distance between two ponies that liked each other, but were afraid to show it just yet. Thankfully, the hot tub wasn't very big, and with four of them in it, Pinkie and Fluttershy were forced to close that distance. Even Twilight noticed that the blushes on their faces had deepened, especially when any part of their bodies made accidental contact as they shifted to get comfortable. Rarity gave Twilight a little wink, before standing to get out of the tub. "Please excuse me. I need to use the restroom."

Twilight gave a little nod to Fluttershy, who looked confused for a moment before realizing what Twilight and Rarity were trying to do.

"Oh, Rarity! Would you mind if I came with you? Power of suggestion I guess." Fluttershy stood up and they both made their way out of the room, leaving Twilight and Pinkie to continue their relaxing.

Much to Twilight's surprise, Pinkie spoke up before she could get the chance to. "Twilight, um, do you know if Fluttershy… well, how do I put this?"

The doubt in Pinkie voice was so unfamiliar to Twilight that it took a moment for her to adjust. She didn't like seeing her friend like this, and wanted to get her through this as quickly as she could, for Pinkie's sake. "Pinkie, something's happened between you and Fluttershy recently, hasn't it?"

"It's that obvious? Wait, I mean, no, not really. Oh, who am I kidding, yes, something's happened. At least, I think something's happened. I'm not sure."

"You like her, don't you."

"Of course I like her, silly! She's my friend."

"That's not what I meant, Pinkie, and you know it."

"Oh."

"Well?"

"Yes, Twilight. I think I'm falling for Fluttershy, but I don't know if she likes me that way, or mares that way."

"So you wanted to ask if I knew what her preferences are or if she's said anything to me about you?"

"YES!"

"Pinkie, I can't do that and you know it. It's not my place to tell you those things. I will say that Fluttershy is thinking about something also and that she's been talking to myself and Rarity about it, but I cannot tell you what it's been about."

"Oh. I understand."

"However…"

"Yes?"

"If you would like my opinion, I think there just may be something there. Just my observation, nothing more."

"REALLY!" Pinkie rushed across the tub and smothered Twilight in a hug.

After gradually extricating herself from Pinkie's grasp, she smiled at her. "Just talk to her Pinkie. I know what it's like to be nervous about the unknown and fearful about taking a friendship to a new level. I also know what it's like when taking that risk pays off. I've **never** been as happy as I am right now. I don't know why it took so long for me to realize just how much Rarity means to me. I guess it just took the right circumstances for both of us to see it."

"But, what if Fluttershy says no?"

"Then, maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I don't think that confessing your feeling to her will hurt your friendship in the long run. If she doesn't want to be your special somepony, I doubt she would want to stop being your friend. Fluttershy just isn't that kind of pony."

Pinkie slowly settled back to the other side of the tub, quietly considering what Twilight had just told her. "I need time to think. Do you think Rarity and Fluttershy would understand if I went home now?"

"I'm sure they would. Go ahead. I'll let them know you had something you needed to do when they come back."

"Twilight."

"Yes, Pinkie?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Pinkie got out and dried herself off, before making her way out of the spa and back to Sugarcube Corner. As much as Mrs. Cake wanted details, the expression on Pinkie's face told her it wasn't the right time to ask. Pinkie made her way up to her room and flopped onto her bed, spending the next several hours thinking about the party and what she wanted to say to Fluttershy.

A few minutes after Pinkie left, Rarity and Fluttershy returned. Fluttershy noticeably deflated when she saw that Pinkie was gone.

"Fluttershy, it's okay. Pinkie had some errands to run, so she couldn't stay any longer."

"Oh, okay then."

They dried off and made their way out to the front desk, where Rarity settled their bill.

Fluttershy said good bye and made her way back home to get her afternoon and evening chores taken care of before the party. Twilight and Rarity watched her walking away until she disappeared. Rarity turned to her marefriend.

"What do you think, darling?"

"It's obvious both are very much into each other. It'll probably work without a hitch, but they need to be nudged forward a little maybe." She turned to look at Rarity, who held a pensive look in her face before smiling.

"Well, then we shall give them a helping hoof, hmm?"

Twilight smiled as well, approaching Rarity for a brief nuzzle. "Let's see what happens. For now, let's go back to the library."

They walked back to the library in silence, basking in the presence of each other and the warming sunlight falling upon them. Twilight pushed the door open and both entered.

"Hello, Sparky, Rarity!" called out Twilight's mother from one of the tables where she and Nightlight were sitting. Twilight beamed and they both approached, hugging and kissing each other.

"How was your morning, mom, dad?" asked Twilight, now sitting next to her mother while Rarity sat to her other side.

"It was pretty relaxing. I must say I'm liking Ponyville more and more. We might even give serious thought to moving out here sometime in the future. Isn't that right, dear?"

Nightlight smiled. "Sure is, though it won't be anytime soon, unfortunately. We can always visit from time to time. Shining would like to visit here as well, I would think. Cadence too, if I've learned anything about her."

Twilight's ears perked up at the mention of her brother and sister-in-law. "I wonder how they're doing on their honeymoon. Maybe I should send them a letter?"

Her mother nodded. "That'd be nice, Sparky. After all, he told me how upset you were when you found out about the marriage. You wouldn't want to do that to them, would you?"

"Yes, you're right. I'll write a letter tonight."

The warm smell of soup filled their nostrils, and they all turned to see Spike carrying a big tray with five steaming plates on top of it. He made his way towards the table, setting the plates in front of everyone. Nightlight smelled the reddish soup.

"This smells delicious, Spike. What it is?"

Spike smiled. "Just some tomato soup I pulled out. Hope you like it." Twilight's mother smiled and leaned over to give him a small nuzzle; his cheeks brightened up.

"You're a sweet little dragon, Spike. Thank you."

"Gee, Mrs. Sparkle," said Spike, trying to keep a straight face. He smiled however. "Thank you. That's not everything though." He rushed back to the kitchen, returning a couple minutes later with plates full of vegetable pie. Rarity had to fight off the urge to lick her lips in an unladylike manner.

"This looks wonderful, Spike!"

Spike's blush intensified even further as he finally sat down next to Nightlight.

"I can only try to do my best for my family." He lifted a small cup from the tray, sprinkled crushed ruby dust on his soup, and picked up the spoon to begin eating with enthusiasm. They all concentrated on enjoying the meal up until the last bite. When they were finished, Spike rose and picked up a plate, being stopped by a white magical glow taking hold of it.

"Let me handle this Spike," said Twilight's mother, enveloping all the dishes with her magic, but a bluish aura would not allow her to take hold.

"Please let me take care of this. You are guests in this house and I shall not see you lifting a hoof to do anything."

The older mare smiled. "I will accept your generosity, then, Rarity. Thank you."

Rarity lifted the plates, collecting the one that Mrs. Sparkle had already grabbed, and carried them towards the kitchen, leaving the Sparkle family at the table with Spike. Nightlight threw a brief look towards the kitchen, and then turned towards his daughter.

"I'm happy with her. You definitely could've done worse."

"Dad!" Twilight groaned, pouting, but then shifted to a warm smile. "Thanks, dad."

She walked around the table and wrapped him in a hug, which he promptly returned and her mother and Spike joined in. They eventually separated.

"We're going to meet Rarity's parents later today. I hope it goes as well as it did with you. Her sister has already accepted us, even though she discovered it accidentally."

"Sparky, if they are as good as Rarity is, I know there's not going to be any trouble. Everything's going to be fine." Her mother embraced her once again. "We'll be with you no matter what."

"I know. Thank you, mom."

Fluttershy looked around her cottage. Next to her, Angel chomped down on his super special salad. She had come back to her cottage swiftly and put herself to work in the hopes of getting Pinkie Pie out of her mind. Now, however, the bunnies were fed, the birds pecked at their seeds from their small houses, the beavers munched on their fish and all the other animals had been taken care of.

As thoughts of Pinkie slowly crept their way into Fluttershy's mind, the warm feelings that she had experienced early that morning came back in earnest. "Oh my, I think I'd better go take another shower."

The majority of the afternoon was passed as the four unicorns and Spike chatted in the library, which had been closed for the rest of the day. Finally, Twilight's father looked towards the clock that hung on one of the walls. He turned towards his wife. "Honey, we'd better get going."

She glanced towards the clock. "You're right, sweetheart."

They all went to help get the luggage to the train station. In the late afternoon, only a few ponies were around waiting for the train when they arrived. Nightlight waited in line to buy their tickets, which was a long enough wait that the rest of them had time to sit down at one of the benches.

The sound of the locomotive arriving made them stand up. Soon enough, the train stopped in front of the station, letting out a big cloud of smoke. The doors opened, letting the arriving ponies out.

"Goodbye, Sparky, Spike, Rarity. We hope to hear from you soon, okay?"

"Of course, mom. I'll write soon and tell you how everything went." Mother and daughter hugged tightly.

They separated and Rarity hugged Mrs. Sparkle as Twilight spoke to her father. "Rarity, please take good care of her." Mrs. Sparkle had a few tears in her eyes as she let Rarity go.

"I will. I promise." Rarity rushed forward to embrace her again. "Thank you for accepting me."

As the train whistle blew to remind them of the time, they finally separated. Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle waved goodbye and boarded the train. The doors closed, and Twilight, Rarity and Spike watched it take off. When it disappeared in the distance, they turned around to head back to the library.

Twilight looked at herself in front of one of the mirrors occupying Rarity's corner, as the white unicorn groomed her mane carefully. She could feel the comb's teeth working their magic on her, and she saw her reflection returning a nervous smile.

"What is the matter, love?" asked Rarity, looking at Twilight by way of their reflections in the polished glass.

"I guess I'm nervous, Rarity. This is the first time I'll present myself as a marefriend in front of anypony's parents. Do you think it will go okay?"

Rarity's lips curved upwards, offering a reassuring smile to Twilight. "Absolutely, darling. I guarantee everything will come out right. Sweetie Belle already accepts us. We just have a little door ahead of us that we'll open this evening. Oh! It is just lovely." Rarity lifted the comb, letting out a small shriek of satisfaction as she checked on her work. She levitated a small mirror behind Twilight, allowing her to look at her mane, perfectly straight and shining. Twilight smiled broadly as she rose from the bench.

After a few quick adjustments to Rarity's mane, both ponies deemed themselves ready for dinner. They waved goodbye to Spike, who had to be left behind, as the gluttonous dragon had snuck one to many gems from Twilight's "secret" stash while they had been busy getting ready. He was now slowly making his way to bed after drinking one of Zecora's recommended herbal remedies. The sky above was losing its bright blue coloration, degrading into the soft colors of dusk as the day died. They trotted at a slow pace, enjoying the scenery. Rarity led the way, with Twilight soon recognizing Ponyville's Lake.

"Your family lives in a very nice place, Rarity."

"That it is, Twilight. I often miss the relaxing days near the lake and enjoying its waters. It's too bad it is an unsuitable location for my business, without mentioning my parents… rather lackluster fashion sense."

Twilight smiled as they approached the two story house. A balcony on the second floor held a couple of reclining chairs and some plants in ceramic pots providing a nice atmosphere for resting. The other side had two ornate windows, one per floor, covered by curtains. Rarity knocked at the door. The sound of excited hoofsteps preceded the door opening, and they soon found themselves thrown to the ground as a purple and white blur opened the door and jumped on top of them.

"You're finally here! I'm so anxious! I've almost let the news slip myself, but I didn't, but I really wanted to do it, but now you're here!"

Rarity groaned. "Sweetie Belle, dear, please get off of us."

The filly finally stopped bouncing and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Rarity. I'm just so excited!" She climbed down, allowing them to finally stand up and brush themselves off. Fortunately, their manes hadn't been mussed up by Sweetie's enthusiastic assault and they managed to get themselves presentable when Rarity's mother turned up at the door. She offered an apologetic smile to the pair.

"Sweetie Belle crushed you? The poor dear has been jumping around for the last hour, almost as if she had become Pinkie Pie incarnate." She looked around briefly before returning her attention to the pair. "Didn't little Spike come with you?"

"Poor Spike couldn't come; he overate… again." Rarity trotted up to her mother, entwining their necks. "It's good to see Sweetie again, hyper or not. I really wish I had spent more time with her these past few days." They separated and Crystal's attention turned to Twilight.

"Hello dear, and welcome to our home. I'll send you home with something for Spike before you leave, as I made way too much food. Come on in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Belle," answered Twilight, walking forward to give Mrs. Belle a brief embrace. Crystal, Rarity and Twilight walked inside with Sweetie bouncing excitedly behind them. The living room was sparsely decorated, with only old time style furniture occupying its space, consisting of a large sofa and accompanying chairs with a center glass table and a small side table.

Mrs. Belle led them past it, towards a dining room filled almost entirely by a six-chair table made out of willow wood with cushioned matching chairs. The only other thing in the room was a vintage gramophone on a chair in the corner, beside a collection of LP disks. Twilight marveled at the simple, but extremely cozy atmosphere the house exhibited.

"You have a very beautiful house, Mrs. Belle."

The mare laughed heartily. "Oh, thank you, Twilight. The majority of the furniture is hoof-me-downs of high quality from both sides of the family, and we do our best to keep them in perfect shape.

"Hey, Rarity, Miss Sparkle!" greeted Rarity's father, coming into the room. Rarity embraced him as her mother slipped into the kitchen. Sweetie Belle ran around the table, setting up cutlery and napkins in front of each chair.

"Hello, father. How have you been?"

"Good evening, Mr. Magnum," greeted Twilight, bowing her head slightly in deference. "Thank you for inviting me."

The stallion smiled, fixing his hat that had fallen in front of his eyes. "Think nothing of it, young lady." He turned to his daughter. "I'm doing just fine, Rarity, and you? How are things coming along?"

"Well, the workers are going at it hard, but progress is slow. It will be a few more weeks before any significant headway is made."

"It's good that you have the Princesses backing you up, sweetheart."

"Yes, I'd say that I'm a very lucky pony." She shot a brief look at Twilight, which her father noticed, but didn't comment on.

"So, how did it go today, girls?" asked Magnum, as Crystal entered, pushing a food cart filled with dishes with her magic. She began levitating them towards the table, filling every available space. While she organized the meal, Magnum manipulated the gramophone, putting a disk on it. When the needle came down, old time jazz began to fill the room. Sweetie Belle let out a groan and Rarity covered her eyes, but Twilight smiled, her ears perking.

"Nat King Colt! You're definitely a stallion with good taste, Mr. Magnum!"

"I'm glad you like it. For these girls, I'm nothing but an old timer, but classic jazz will never die!" He smiled as a hearty portion of grilled vegetables was served to him and the piano melodies resounded.

Once everyone had settled around the table, the five ponies proceeded to eat to their heart's content. Sweetie Belle held her spoon with her hoof, while the others used their magic. Rarity threw another look at Twilight, who nodded. The white unicorn looked at her parents, as did Twilight.

"Mother, father, I… we have something to tell you."

The hustle around the table suddenly stopped as all the gazes were set on Rarity. Her tail flicked as she swallowed nervously. After a few moments of silence, her mother intervened.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Sweetie Belle's eyes glistened, and she encouraged her sister non-vocally, bouncing in place while leaning on the table, dinner forgotten. Twilight slipped a hoof under the table, gripping her leg in support.

"Mother, father, Twilight Sparkle and I are dating," said Rarity, quickly, the string of words coming out of her mouth as fast as she could say them and still be understood. The air in the dining room felt heavy as the weight of the moment shifted from the young couple to the older one. Crystal's eyes were wide open, looking at the pair in front of her, a smile slowly growing across her face. Magnum's expression was unreadable as he stared at them. Sweetie Belle was frozen, her eyes sweeping from one side to the other.

The sound of Magnum's fork slamming against the table resonated in their ears, overcoming the sound of Nat King Colt's piano and voice, as the stallion rose from his seat. Four pairs of eyes followed him as he crossed the table behind Sweetie Belle's chair, approaching Rarity, who saw his figure towering in front of her.

"What is the meaning of this? I didn't raise you so you'd be a filthy fillyfooler! Are you joking?"

Rarity stumbled out of her chair, falling hard on the floor. Tears liberally flowed down her cheeks. She sat there, sobbing and unmoving. Sweetie Belle shrieked and Crystal stood up alarmed. Twilight quickly got up and moved to help Rarity off the floor.

"What did you do to my daughter? I didn't raise a fillyfooler. You took advantage of her situation and seduced her! That's why you invited her to your house, so you could have her brought over to your disgraceful whore house!"

Rarity struggled to lift herself up but she couldn't breathe from her uncontrolled sobbing. Crystal was frozen in place, in shock and at a loss for words.

"Daddy!" shrieked Sweetie Belle with all the force of her lungs; she jumped forward on the table. "Daddy, stop it!"

Sweetie's cries were lost on his ears. He reared back and brought his forelegs down to deliver a powerful smack to Twilight to move her out if the way, only to hear his ankle snap as it impacted sooner than anticipated. The second she saw Magnum start his decent, Twilight had cast a shield around herself and Rarity. Time seemed to slow down. Rarity stared in disbelief. Crystal finally seemed to recover, letting out an anguished scream. Magnum hollered in pain as he recoiled, cradling his injured limb.

Sweetie Belle stared at him with a look that could kill. She felt her grip on reality floating away as rage filled all her being. Her eyes glowed of a deep white and her horn shone with a green hue, the same as her pupils. A focused wave exploded from her horn, sending the stallion flying across the room and into the wall, which he hit with a sickening crunch. He fell to the floor in a heap, looking briefly towards Sweetie Belle, before he lost consciousness.

The music in the background continued happily, contrasting with the scene as Rarity slowly got up from the floor. Twilight helped her up as she dropped her shield. Rarity and Twilight quickly embraced each other, Rarity's tears refusing to slow down. While trying to comfort her marefriend, she couldn't help but look at Sweetie Belle as the magical surge finished its course. Sweetie Belle collapsed on the table, exhausted, but alert. Crystal quickly ran to her.

"Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Why?" she asked repeatedly. Crystal embraced her, speaking softly to try to calm her down. She didn't know how to answer her daughter. She had never seen this side of Magnum, nor had the slightest clue that he felt so strongly against same sex couples. It was simply a conversation that had never come up.

Once Rarity's sobbing started to subside, Twilight walked over to Magnum, checking to see if he was still alive. His breathing was slow, and she was fairly certain that some bones were broken, but he appeared to be stable despite the force of the impact. She looked over her shoulder to Crystal. "He's going to need a doctor. Some of his injuries are fairly serious.

Rarity, having run out of tears, approached her mother slowly. "Mother, I'm sorry, but Twilight and I are going to leave now. I'd like for Sweetie to come with us, and you as well. That is, if you're not disgusted by your daughter being a filthy fillyfooler."

Sweetie Belle started crying. Rarity nuzzled her comfortingly.

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. You helped protect all of us. I'm very proud of you!"

"We all are Sweetie Belle. Thank you." Twilight nuzzled her from the other side.

Crystal completed the circle, embracing Sweetie Belle from behind.

Slowly, the filly stopped sobbing, but continued to cling to Rarity's leg.

"It's okay, Sweetie Belle, I'm here." Rarity started to gentle caress Sweetie's mane.

Crystal tapped Twilight on the shoulder, gently coaxing her to the next room. "Do you love her?"

It took a moment for Twilight to shift gears from what just happened back to where she had expected the conversation to go. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then you have my support. As long as my Rarity is happy, that's all I care about." Crystal quickly embraced Twilight. "Thank you, for protecting my daughter."

Rarity saw the embrace and smiled, thankful that it appeared that her mother did not share her father's opinion. She quietly picked Sweetie Belle up with her magic, placing her gently on her back. Sweetie Belle quickly adjusted to the new position, wrapping her forelegs around Rarity's neck and softly crying into her mane. Rarity made her way over to her mother and Twilight.

"Twilight, we'd better go." She looked at her mother. "Will you come with us?"

"I… I need to get a doctor, first. We shouldn't just leave him like that."

Rarity was about to say something, when Twilight gently touched her shoulder. "She right, Rarity. As wrong is it was for him to do and say the things he did, nopony deserves to be left like that to suffer. We also don't want this to come back to haunt us later, so we had better explain what happened."

Rarity considered her words for a moment before looking at her mother again. "Do as you must, mother, but please consider staying with us for a while." She started to head for the door. With a final look to her mother, they left, leaving Crystal behind as the evening grew darker.

They walked in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, but Rarity came to a halt when they were only a few blocks left. Twilight looked at her, worried.

"I can't go in there, Twilight. Not like this."

Twilight gave her a brief nuzzle. "I know, Rarity." She looked off to the side. "Let's go to the park. It's always empty at this time, and we can find a secluded place to gain even more privacy. We'll go once we've gotten a chance to calm down."

Rarity nodded in silence, placing Sweetie Belle back on her own hooves. They arrived at the park and chose a bench partially hidden by a cluster of trees, aided by the full dark that now fell on the town. Rarity and Twilight sat on the bench in a gentle embrace, with Sweetie Belle lying quietly on the ground, watching them.

Rarity started sobbing again. She let her forehooves fall as the tears flowed, exposing with every drop the pain that resided in her heart. Twilight embraced her tighter, letting the tears stain her coat, crying in sympathy, if not as heavily. Sweetie Belle didn't cry. She just stayed where she was, watching. Eventually, Rarity's sobs started to slow, and she just pressed herself against Twilight, who remained silent.

"I never discussed this with them, you know? It never came up as a topic of conversation, and well, with the stallions I dated, I guess I could see why. But I thought he would be supportive of me. I…" She cut herself off, the tears threatening another round. Twilight stroked her mane softly.

"I'm here, Rarity," said Twilight, delivering a kiss to her forehead, "and I always will be." The pair remained in their embrace for a while. Twilight's tears eventually ran out. Rarity lifted her head and looked at the sky. Between the trees, she could see the shape of the moon overhead, revealing the fully fallen night. She looked down to see Sweetie Belle asleep and then turned to her lover.

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Rarity?" Twilight answered, wiping her eyes.

"Can my family come and live with us, Sweetie Belle and my mother I mean? I just realized that I asked them too without talking to you about it first."

Twilight didn't hesitate for a second. "Yes. I can make arrangements so that they'd be comfortable."

Rarity nodded and looked down. "Sweetie Belle?" she called out softly. The filly looked up slowly, her bright green eyes gleaming with tears not spilt. Rarity almost choked, forcing herself to speak.

"Would you like to live with Twilight and I?"

Both sisters locked gazes. Eventually, Sweetie Belle nodded slightly. "Yes," she said, lowering her head to look ahead of her once more. Rarity looked at Twilight, who gestured with her muzzle towards Sweetie Belle, and Rarity lowered herself from the bench to catch her sister in an embrace. Both remained silent. Nopony was able to say how much time had gone by, until a rustle in front of them caught their attention. Amongst a couple of trees, only the bright blue of her eyes being a hint that she was standing there in the darkness, Pinkie Pie looked at them, keeping impossibly still.

"Twilight, Rarity, is everything okay?"

Twilight looked down at the two sisters, who were still caught in their embrace, and walked over to Pinkie.

"Yes, Pinkie. Something happened, but we'd rather not talk about it."

"Okay, Twilight, but you should come to the party! Everypony's waiting for you, and it's been more than an hour since it began!"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think we're in the mood for a party, Pinkie…" Suddenly, she found herself with Pinkie Pie standing just in front of her, staring at her seriously. Twilight backed away from her.

"You can't stay here moping and being hurt! That's not good, Twily! Come on, you'll feel better with your friends!"

Pinkie disappeared from Twilight's field of vision, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle found themselves lifted from the ground and trapped within an embrace from Pinkie, who smiled at them, her crystal blue eyes shining.

"Come on, please?"

"We'll go, Pinkie" Rarity choked out. "Please set us down." Pinkie complied, turning back to lead the way, bouncing happily, though she was strangely quiet. The three unicorns followed, Sweetie Belle walking in the middle of the couple. They made their way across the darkened streets, finally reaching Sugarcube Corner with its windows aglow.

Pinkie pushed the door open and ushered them in, where Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Spike received them. Their faces were shifted from boredom and annoyance to worry when they saw the state their friends were in. In a heartbeat, the three were surrounded by anxious ponies. Rarity closed her eyes and Sweetie Belle clung to her leg, their ears flopping down. Twilight hit the floor hard with her hoof.

"Quiet down, everypony!"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack flinched, while Fluttershy cowered behind her mane.

"Are you okay, Sugarcube?"

"What happened?" demanded Rainbow Dash, shaking the unicorn by her shoulders. Applejack pulled her away by her tail. Twilight almost fell to the floor. Applejack glared at Rainbow Dash, who backed down. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Spike watched the scene without any clue.

Twilight shook her head. She was about to answer, when Rarity's voice filled the silence.

"We were assaulted by my father when I confessed to him that Twilight and I were lovers."

Seven pairs of mouths fell open as Rarity relayed the whole story to her friends. After she finished, Rainbow Dash almost bolted out the door, were it not for Rarity's magic holding her back.

"Do slow down, Rainbow, darling. My father has already been given some bitter soup by my little sister here."

Sweetie lowered her head. "I don't remember that. I just know that I wanted to protect you and Twilight and everything went hazy after that. I can only recall crying next to you, remembering what he said, and then leaving."

Twilight approached Sweetie Belle, eyeing her with clear interest. "This is the first time that you've experienced an accidental magical discharge, right? Would you mind if we ran some tests? We could even get you to develop your magic…"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity's voice boomed as Twilight towered over a cowering Sweetie Belle. She turned to look at Rarity and blinked, then turned back to Sweetie Belle.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie."

The small unicorn stood up, shaking her head. "It's okay, Twilight."

"But are you sure you'll be fine?" asked Fluttershy, looking at her friends with concern written all over her face.

"Don't worry, darling, there wasn't any major physical damage done… well, to us anyway. We'll recover soon," answered Rarity, grooming her sister with a hoof.

A knock came from the door. All the ponies looked at each other. After the knock was repeated, Pinkie trotted over to the door and opened it to find Crystal Belle outside, wearing a black sweater. She offered a weak smile to all present.

"May I come in?"

Pinkie looked back to Rarity, who nodded. She stepped aside to let Crystal in, then closed the door behind her. Crystal waved shyly at everyone, and walked over to Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Both looked up at her and she stopped. Her face showed all the signs of having been crying.

"I left your father at the hospital. The impact sprained his neck and broke several ribs. His ankle is shattered. He'll recover from most of the injuries, but he'll never walk again without pain."

Silence reigned in the room following Crystal's words. Sweetie Belle's mouth hung open as she realized that most of those injuries were caused by her. Crystal hugged Sweetie Belle and held her other leg out for Rarity.

"I must apologize for your father, girls. He…" She got cut mid-sentence by Rarity, who glared at her.

"Don't, mother. Do not argue for him. He knew what he was doing. He tried to lay his hooves on me and what he said to Twilight... he is going to take full responsibility for his actions. If he wants some sort of reparation to be done, if such a thing can be attained, he must look for it himself. Do not try to endear him to me. Also, mother, I insist that you both come live with us. I do not trust that he will not try to do the same thing to Sweetie Belle one day… or to you. Please, don't stay with him."

Crystal's eyes and mouth opened wide, but said nothing. She closed her mouth and thought for a few minutes before speaking again. "Rarity, I agree that Sweetie should probably stay with you until I figure out how I am going to handle this. However, with **him**in the hospital, I don't feel a need to leave my home just yet. If you need me for anything, you'll know where to find me." She paused briefly before looking back to the door. "I have to get home and clean things up. I hope we can talk soon."

"So do I mother."

Mother and daughters embraced each other before Crystal took her leave.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked at the door through which their mother had just left, when Twilight caught them both in an embrace. Soon all around joined in. When they separated, Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Twilight smiled.

"I thought this was supposed to be a party, Pinkie," said Twilight. Pinkie wasted no time in turning the music on at a volume low enough so as to no disturb the Cakes, and getting the food around.

Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Spike cheerfully talked in a corner, while Apple Bloom consoled Sweetie Belle. Applejack approached Twilight and Rarity, who were cuddling together.

"Howdy, girls!"

"Hi, Applejack. It feels like such a long time has passed since we last talked."

"Indeed, darling. Have you been doing well?"

"Ah've been doin' mighty fine, thanks. Plenty of good ol' work down at the farm." She flashed them a smile, which was then swayed by a concerned look. "Y'all sure yer gonna be fine?"

"Of course, Applejack. We can hardly let that stop us. I'm not feeling very well to be honest, with all that has happened today, but I'll trudge on. I will talk to father eventually, but now I can't bear to be in his presence, lest I lose my composure and do something I might end up regretting."

"Ah see. Seems like the sensible thing to do. Ya know y'all can count on me."

Rarity smiled pleasantly, bringing Applejack into an embrace. "I know, dear. Thank you."

"'s nothin', Rares."

While Applejack and Rarity spoke, Twilight spied Pinkie Pie making her way over to Fluttershy, who had be quietly watching from a corner. The pegasus seemed to retract into herself as she saw the earth pony approaching, but Pinkie managed to coax her out, and soon the pair were conversing. Twilight couldn't see Pinkie's face, as her back was turned to her, nor could she read much on the conversation. She saw Fluttershy's unsure expression, and then the pegasus nodding her head. Twilight then gasped as Pinkie pushed forward and her lips joined Fluttershy's in a small, chaste kiss. The pegasus' eyes widened, then slowly closed as she pressed into the kiss.

Twilight turned to see Rarity alone once again, smiling as she observed the scene which had gone unnoticed by the others. She looked towards Twilight and her smile turned broader; she imitated Pinkie Pie by pressing her lips against Twilight's. Both unicorns smiled, savoring each other's lips until they pulled back.

"I think this can be called a good end to our day," said Twilight, peering into Rarity's eyes.

"I think so as well, Twilight. I'm happy." Rarity tried, but failed to suppress a yawn.

"Should we go home?" asked Twilight, caressing her cheek.

"Yes, I'd very much like to take a bath and rest."

They walked over to where Fluttershy and Pinkie were, and after throwing a look back to ensure everyone was distracted, hugged the couple.

"Congratulations!" whispered Twilight and Rarity together. Fluttershy and Pinkie blushed.

"Thank you, Twilight," said Fluttershy, smiling and hugging Twilight back. "I'm very relieved and very happy this turned out well."

"We're very happy too, Fluttershy. You two have given us a great end for the night. Are you going to tell the others?"

"Well, Pinkie wants to, but I think I want to wait a little before announcing it to the others."

"Yup! I'm totally fine with it, though. And when we're ready, I'll throw a super fantastic party! It's a shame this one wasn't what I wanted, but that's okay. You're fine, right?"

"We will be, Pinkie. I know the next party will be great. Rarity and I will go home now, though."

Pinkie pouted. "Aww, do you have to?"

"Yes, Pinkie, I'm afraid this has been a long day for us, but you can, and should celebrate. We'll think of something fun to do another day. Maybe we can arrange for another visit to the spa. We could have a double date!"

Pinkie beamed, jumping to embrace the three ponies. "Okie dokie lokie! Just let me get you something for the road!"

Pinkie bounced away, and they turned to Fluttershy. "Let's hope you don't get too overwhelmed, Fluttershy."

"I think I can manage." Fluttershy smiled softly and gave them a small hug. They waved goodbye to her and crossed the room, separating. Twilight called Spike and Rarity summoned Sweetie Belle. After saying goodbye to the others and receiving a big bag from Pinkie, they left Sugarcube Corner and made their way to the library.

Spike growled as they sat around the table. "I should have gone with you."

Rarity looked at him from across the table. "Spike, you're a gentledragon, but I wouldn't have liked you getting hurt over it."

"But you two could have been hurt!"

"We'll be fine, Spike. I told you already. I'm glad that you worry about us, but what's done is done. Go on to bed." Twilight glanced over to the couch. "Seems like Sweetie Belle's already out."

The dragon glanced at both of them, sighing before jumping off the chair and heading towards the basement. Twilight watched him walk away.

"I guess things happen for a reason."

"That they do, Twilight. Say, why don't we take our bath right now? We both need it, and you wouldn't mind sharing it with me, would you?"

Twilight nodded, fighting back the slight blush that tinted her cheeks. "I'll be up in a minute. I have a letter I want to write to Shining and Cadence first."

Rarity winked and kissed her right cheek before making her way upstairs.

Twilight brought some stationary and a quill over to the table and quietly settled down on the couch next to Sweetie Belle. She quickly penned a letter to her brother and sister-in-law letting them know about her new relationship and everything else that had happened. She left out what happened at the dinner, fearing that her brother might do something rash and get in trouble. She sealed the letter and placed it off to the side.

"Twilight, dear, the bath is ready. Are you coming?"

"I'll be right there, Rarity. I'm almost done."

Twilight waited until she heard the bathroom door close again before placing a blank piece of parchment in front of her.

_Dear Princesses,_

_ Rarity and I have both meet each other's parents this weekend, but both meetings did not go well. Princess Celestia, you know my parents very well, and will not be surprised that they accepted us unconditionally. They both like Rarity very much. Princess Luna, I hope you get the chance to get to know them as well as your sister has._

_ The meeting with Rarity's parents did not go so well. Crystal Belle is a very loving mother and seems to like me. Rarity's father, Magnum, does not. He thinks that I have somehow corrupted his daughter into being in an intimate relationship with me. Things got a little physical. Magnum is currently in the hospital, but only his shattered ankle is because of me. I cast a shield around myself and Rarity and he slammed his hoof down on it trying to smack me. The rest of his injuries were caused by his other daughter, Sweetie Belle. She's never been able to use her magic before today, but she surged, and in the process, threw her father across the room into a wall. She's an emotional mess, but is sleeping soundly next to me on the couch. Please understand that what she did was in an effort to protect her sister and myself. Please watch out for her if you can. I don't know what Magnum will try once he's out of the hospital. We've taken Sweetie Belle in, and have extended the offer to Crystal Belle as well, although she has refused for the time being. I must admit that I am afraid of what Magnum is capable of trying and am not looking forward to seeing him again anytime soon. Do you have any advice for me as to how to best deal with this situation?_

_ On a happier note, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have gotten together. Rarity and I are very happy for them and are looking forward to a double date at the spa soon._

_ I hope you are both doing well and would love to see you both again soon._

_ Your Faithful Student & Friend_

_ Twilight Sparkle_

After she read the letter over and was satisfied, she sealed it and quietly made her way down to the basement. She gently knocked on the door to Spike's bedroom. "Spike, are you still awake?"

A moment later, the door opened. "I haven't settled in yet. I wasn't quite tired enough, so I was reading. What's up?"

"Could you send this to either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? It's meant for both of them, so it doesn't matter which one receives it." Twilight placed the letter into Spike's claws.

"Sure thing, Twilight." Twilight turned to leave, but felt a claw gently grab her rear leg. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. Thanks for worrying about me though." Twilight gave him a gentle hug and then made her way up the stairs.

"Best get this sent now, but who to send it to?" Spike closed the door and made his way over to the bed. "I haven't sent anything to Princess Luna in a while. She'd probably like to receive a letter from Twilight." With a quick flash of green fire, with just the slightest trace of midnight blue, the letter disappeared.

Rarity was beginning to think that Twilight had fallen asleep downstairs, and was about to go check on her again when the bathroom door opened. "Oh, there you are. What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Rarity. I decided to write two letters instead of one."

"Oh, that's quite alright. I know you don't like to let stuff like that wait. Just give me one moment to warm the water just a bit." Rarity cast a quick spell, raising the water temperature just enough to make it comfortably hot again.

Twilight dipped a foreleg in first, then climbed in and settled into a comfortable position. Rarity waited for her to get comfortable before climbing in also. She sat with her back to Twilight and slowly leaned back until she was resting against Twilight's body. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rarity's chest and nuzzled into her neck. "That was quite a day we had, huh?"

"Most definitely, although I wish things had gone better with my parents. I can't believe my father acted like that."

"Now, now. Let's not start dwelling on it again. I'd rather think about a certain white unicorn instead." Twilight leaned forward slightly, kissing Rarity on the neck.

"Mmmmmmm. Oh, please don't stop." Rarity leaned her head away and closed her eyes, exposing more of her neck to Twilight's mouth.

Twilight slowly peppered Rarity's neck with kiss after kiss, involving her tongue a little before she stopped. Rarity's eyes popped open and she looked back to Twilight. "I thought I said not to…"

Twilight had cut Rarity off with a kiss, slipping her tongue in shortly after. Rarity's eyes went as wide as saucers before closing and getting her tongue involved as well. Twilight managed to coax Rarity's body around so that they were facing each other and was running her hooves up and down Rarity's back. Rarity inched herself forward as much as she could, their bellies pressing against each other as their breathing sped up. Eventually, they had to stop kissing in order to catch their breath.

Rarity nuzzled into Twilight's neck. "Darling, I'm afraid I might try something you're not ready for again if we keep this up."

Twilight sat back so that she could look Rarity in the eyes. They stayed that way for a moment, before a blush crept up on Twilight cheeks. "Okay."

Rarity tilted her head a little to one side. "Okay what?"

With one hoof, Twilight reached out and took a hold of one of Rarity hooves. She then slid Rarity's hoof down her own belly, stopping as Rarity's eyes went wide. "Okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm."

Rarity quickly pecked her on the lips. "Not in here, darling. Not for our first time. The bed?"

"Okay."

They both quickly got out and dried off, although as they dried off, a smell that neither of them could ignore got stronger. Twilight glanced at Rarity, and was almost shocked by the lust that shone in her eyes. Rarity wanted her, and she wanted her **now**_!_ Never had Twilight ever felt so attractive. She rushed for the door, grabbing Rarity as she passed, and made a beeline for the bedroom. Rarity recovered quickly from being grabbed and they both pounced on the bed together, Twilight quickly using her magic to close and lock the door. Remembering something Spike had said before, she cast a second spell, soundproofing the room. Rarity smirked. "Good idea, darling. I'm not going easy on you this time."

Had Twilight forgotten to cast that soundproofing spell, the entire town would likely have heard the moans coming from the library, and not only from Twilight. Those moans did not stop until well past midnight.

The party settled down and eventually broke up shortly after Rarity and Twilight had left with Sweetie Belle in tow. Rainbow Dash offer to walk Scootaloo home. Applejack and Applebloom made their way out shortly after. With everyone gone, except Fluttershy, Pinkie started the process of cleaning up. It wasn't going to take long, as it was a small party and hadn't gotten as exuberant as she would have liked it to. While gathering cups, she noticed Fluttershy grabbing a broom. "Shy, whatcha doing? You don't have to help me clean."

"I know, Pinkie, but I want to." She smiled and started to sweep the dust and confetti into a small pile.

Together, the store was back to normal in just a couple of minutes. They sat together, looking over their work, before Fluttershy looked up at the clock. "Oh my. I had better get home."

"Do you really have to go?" Pinkie asked, as she leaned against Fluttershy's shoulder.

"I don't want to, but I should." Fluttershy gave Pinkie and quick hug before turning for the door. "I'll come by for breakfast tomorrow, if that's okay?"

"I'd like that." Pinkie followed Fluttershy to the door and opened it for her. "Are you going to be okay getting home?"

"I'll be fine, Pinkie." Fluttershy started to walk out the door, but stopped and looked over her shoulder. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before Fluttershy turned around and gave Pinkie a passionate kiss, nearly knocking the earth pony to the floor. When they separated, they both smiled. Pinkie gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then saw Fluttershy out and closed the door.


End file.
